


My Knight-Captain

by ObsidianThorne



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Ladybug - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2018-07-14 21:46:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 89,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7192001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsidianThorne/pseuds/ObsidianThorne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blake Belladonna has escaped the White Fang and is on the verge of death when she is found by Ruby Rose who makes it her mission to take care of Blake until she is fit enough to live on her own again. Ruby battles her past while Blake battles starting a new life alongside Yang and the rest of her friends who say that Ruby had died years ago before the war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The mountain was cold with winter gusts, howling through the bare tree branches in the pitch black night. Two feet of snow coated the ground in a white blanket of unique flakes, expanding out as far as the eye could see without a footprint in sight. A soft flurry had started up only wanting to add to the land of snow. The mountain was always quiet during the winter, serene, almost eerily so especially at night, not a sound but the wind whistling away, carrying ice flakes with it. Mountain Glenn was almost always uneventful, having little people occupying its space at the base of its enormity, but tonight was different, a fragile soul was wondering its darkness, its frigid chill.

The small, fragile woman quaked with every shiver that traveled her spine, arms hugging at her sides in a meek attempt to keep some body heat. Her clothes were tattered to the point of being dirty rags, rips, and tears everywhere, splotches of dried blood, and dirt. Her feet were bare, numbed by the cold snow she was slowly trudging through, weakly trying to walk, legs weak, dehydrated, lacking much strength to even stand. Desperation is what drove her to keep moving, the thoughts of being caught weren’t ones she particularly liked and she would rather try her chances out on her own than where she had come from.

The woman’s vision blurred with every agonizing step she took, shoulders shuddering with every shiver as the wind blew harder. She could see where she was going, but in that direction, there was nothing but open mountain land with scattered trees, no civilization to be seen. Hopelessness was seeping into her being, there was no hope, she was weak and starving, she couldn’t possibly go on. All she could feel was pain and cold as her body finally gave out, collapsing on her side into the thick snow, shivering had become weaker. As she lay there watching the snowflakes fall her pain was disappearing, turning into a numbness as her body shut down, the only warmth she could barely feel was the blood coming from her side and leg. Lungs that were previously pumping quickly to draw in satisfying air were slowing, becoming nothing but a faint fog as she exhaled. Amber eyes started to close slowly, a tear escaping her eye only to freeze on her cheek. This was it. She was going to die, nothing was going to save her now. A part of her was still hoping for a miracle, but another didn’t want there to be a miracle.

Darkness surrounded her more completely now, the cold taking her body in an icy embrace of impending death, but it wasn’t before she drifted off that there was the faintest sound of footsteps, so faint that even her Faunus ears barely picked them up. One ear twitched weakly before she finally let the blackness take her from her suffering.

 

A female figure cloaked in black walked along in the snow, thoughtfully twirling a dagger around in her hand. _This was a good place as any, right?_ Nobody left to find the remains of someone she barely recognized anymore. Nobody to know the pain she had suffered from the heavy burden that weighed upon her shoulders like a goliath carcass. What remains will be covered and hidden by the snow by the time someone comes along, who was she kidding, no one would find her. This mountain was a wasteland, dangerous for civilian travelers, and unnecessary for any Huntsman or Huntress’s attention. It was perfect.

She stopped, eyes cast down at her hand that held the sharp, gleaming blade. Silver eyes hard with debate, hand gripping the handle tighter. _How could they possibly blame me? They_ knew _that I would never hurt them! Everyone refused to believe me,_ refused! _‘Just stop fighting it’ they said, ‘accept the punishment’ they said. I didn’t do it, I didn’t! I couldn’t have, could I? No, no, of course not. You just failed them. Yeah, that’s it. Everyone is against you! Well, damn them! I’ll just make it easier for all of them!_ Her mind screamed out as salty tears pricked her eyes, slowly cascading down her cheeks, turning cold when exposed to the winter weather. Her hand gripped the dagger roughly, quickly lunging it at her throat, moving her head to look up and allow more access for the blade to pierce the flesh on her smooth neck. She was fully prepared, ready for her impending death, ready for the end, but something caught her eye. The blade halted, just pricking her skin with its pointed tip, a small drop of blood escaped the miniscule wound.

Her silver eyes squinted through the flurry, spotting a small black lump of sorts laying in the snow a bit of a walk away from her position. She couldn’t really tell what it was, but as she observed the unmoving object, her hand slowly lowered taking the dagger with it. “What…?” Her thoughts didn’t finish before she was speed walking her way over to whatever it was that had stopped her. As she drew closer her footsteps got faster, a strange sense of desperation was tugging at her chest, pulling her toward the object of her attention. The black cloaked figure stopped right next to it, a small but shocked gasp escaping her chapped lips, pants fogging in the air.

It was a woman, a very sick woman from the looks of it. Her body was bone thin, hair matted, face covered in little cuts and bruises, blood seeping from some bigger wounds, and dark blotches on her ragged shirt and revealing underclothes. The unconscious woman was barely wearing any layers that would keep her warm in this unforgiving weather, the majority of her skin open to the frosty nip of the wind. The cloaked woman was slightly relieved of her panic to see faint fog escaping the sickly woman’s lips, meaning that she was still breathing, for now. _What happened to her? Where did she come from? How did she make it here in this condition? What did this to her?_ Who _did this to her?!_ Panic was creeping back into her system, but with a quick shake of her head she tossed it out on its ass, knowing that it wasn’t time to ask questions. She needed to act, and act quick.

Without any hesitation, she scooped up the pitiful looking woman in a bridal position and saw something that both amused and shocked her. There were cat ears atop raven hair. _Is she a Faunus? Did some of the Faunus haters do this to her? Dammit, stop asking questions and help her!_ She screamed at herself, pulling the woman closer to her so she could wrap her black hood around her dangerously thin frame to provide some sort of protection from the falling snow and low temperature. The faunus’s body reacted on instinct, cuddling into her shoulder for warmth, maybe even protection from whatever did this. _Don’t worry, I got you. You’re safe now. Ruby’s got you._ In a burst of rose petals, she was speeding off to shelter, easily holding onto the female faunus.

  
She felt like she was flying, her body limp but the air rushed around her, running through her hair. Faintly, she could feel the warmth radiating into her side, but she couldn’t open her eyes, too weak, but she pushed herself to snuggle further into the heat that felt so good against her cold body. Her ears picked up the sound of mild panting from above her, though it could be her imagination playing tricks on her. When the faunus had nuzzled closer, the distinct feeling of being held, and the smell of roses overwhelmed her senses. Roses were always the prettiest flower in her mind. Before anything else could cross her thoughts, everything in the world disappeared once more.


	2. Chapter 2

It was dark, the light was flickering against her eyelids along with a sizzling crackle from a few paces away. Her body was very sore and she knew that moving too much was not an option. There was some sort of blanket draped over her, soft pelts caressing her exposed skin in a most pleasantly soft way. Most of all she was warm, muscles completely relaxed, breathing steady, and her wounds no longer stung with a painful sensation. The smell in the air was thick with the scent of red roses and burning hickory. It was heaven, it all seemed too real for her to be dead, but that begged the question. Where was she? How did she get there? Fear started to eat away at her from instinct. She didn’t know who had helped or why. Maybe they wanted something in return, or worse, her in return. No, she wouldn’t think of that. What if it was _him_? _Oh no, please no..._ She heard herself whimper with fear involuntarily, tensing up for the reveal when her amber eyes slowly opened.

Those amber eyes met silver, that belonged to a woman around her age that was sitting in a chair that faced the bed, elbow on the desk next to her, chin in her hand to hold her head up. The stranger’s face was gentle, seemingly uninterested in anything else besides she who lay in her bed. Raven-red hair was almost completely red in the lighting, her hair was _red._ Just like _his_! Her terror spiked, face growing big with fear as she gasped, forcing her body into motion, cluttering back to the opposite side of the bed. Pitiful whimpers and cries escaping her lips. The redhead woman’s eyes widened in both shock and concern, standing up from her chair to reach out to the faunus. “Woah, hey. It’s-”

“N-No, no… please, no…” The faunus started sobbing, backing away so far that she fell from the bed, hitting her back on the wooden floor with a pained _oof_ , the air being temporarily knocked from her lungs. The other woman jogged around the bed to help the fallen raven haired female, but said female recovered in time to start crawling back and away from her once more. She didn’t stop until she felt walls against her back, amber eyes shifting around to realize that she had been cornered.

“Hey now, it’s okay. You’re okay, I’m not-” The redhead was now crouching just a few feet away, which felt like not enough distance to the horrified girl, her hand reaching out slowly, voice gentle and smooth like honey which did little to quell the faunus’s fear.

“No! Please, stop, leave me alone...no. No. Please, _please._ ” She cried, curling into a ball, her knees hugged against her chest. Her muscles were shaking from exertion and fear.

“Shh, you don’t have to be afraid. I’m not gonna hurt you. You’re safe here, you’re okay.” The rose colored girl whispered reassuringly, almost making the frightened girl believe her, but she continued to sob, never taking her wet eyes off of the stranger. Her tongue felt like sandpaper, well, more than usual, and her throat was dry. Her stomach hurt from hunger, everything about her just felt too weak to fight now that she had freaked out. The stranger crouched in her spot for a few moments, letting her get all her tears out and become more comfortable with her surroundings.

The ill woman coughed dryly, trying to stifle them as best she could, but the raven-red head had realized a cause, quickly walking over somewhere and returning with a small tin cup. She held the cup out for the faunus to take, but she only stared at it cautiously. “It’s water.” She didn’t trust what was in the water, though her parched throat was begging for the sweet liquid to sooth it. Her amber eyes shifted back and forth between the cup and the holder of said cup. With a sigh the redhead pulled the cup back, taking a small swig, before stretching it out again in an offering. “It’s not poisoned.” Still, the raven haired woman refused to take it. A look of disappointment painted the stranger’s features. “Look, I know you’re thirsty and you need the hydration. Just at least drink a little bit. I swear it won’t hurt you, nor will I. I just want to help.” There was a strange sincerity coming from the redheaded woman’s face, and the faunus felt her body actually relax. Her throat cried desperately for a drink, even she desperately wanted it. What could be the harm in taking a simple sip?

Slowly, she hesitantly started to reach for the tin cup, hands shaky and eyes flickering from person to cup. Finally her slim fingers grasped at the cool metal, muscles struggling to have strength to even hold the small container. She attempted to bring the metal can closer to her, but the second the strange woman let go, she realised that her arm was far too weak to hold it, dropping it on the floor, her arm following limply. A whimper escaped at seeing the spilled clear water, licking her lips as her body shook. She must have used all her energy in her retreat. “Don’t worry, I’ll get some more.” The stranger got up after getting the cup and walked to the other side of the room. Amber eyes watched her closely, taking note that the woman had poured the water in the tankard, adding nothing to it as she returned. “You’re gonna have to let me help you, okay?” The faunus knew that that meant the stranger would have to come closer, but she wasn’t particularly fond of that idea. The only problem was that she craved that water so badly, she just wanted a drink and she guessed that risks would have to be taken.

Giving the woman a small nod, she came closer, a hand coming up to hold the faunus’s head and tilt it back so she could easily get the water into her mouth. The touch made her tense at first, but it was firm with no intention of harm. Her lips parted when the rim came in contact, tilting slightly. “Take it slow, don’t want you choking on it.” The redhead cautioned gently as the cool, refreshing liquid met the weak woman’s tongue, her gulps weak as she drew the life water into her body, soothing her throat. She couldn’t remember that last time she had a drink of clean water, or even dirty water for that matter. A few sips of melted snow off of _his_ boots, maybe. There wasn’t a whole lot of it in the cup, less than half full and when no more would enter her mouth, she whined like a begging dog for its treat. “Easy now. Let that settle, too much of anything in your condition will make you throw it right back up. For now I’ll take you back to the bed.”

This whole time the woman has been moving slowly like she was assisting a timid animal, and that didn’t change when she picked up the faunus, who closed her eyes tightly from mild fright. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest still as strong arms kept her from falling to the ground. The heat that radiated off of the woman’s body was very pleasant when she noticed that she had been cold while cowering in the corner. As she was carried to the bed, one of her eyes peeked open, for the first time noticing that on the woman’s left arm she had multiple scars marring the slightly tan flesh. Thin ones, thick ones, short ones, and long ones. _Where has this woman been?_ She wondered this silently, feeling herself be laid down on the soft pelts that she had occupied just a while ago. When the stranger withdrew her arms, she felt obligated to say something. “T-Thank-you…” It came out as a mumbled whisper. The redhead had looked mildly stunned at first, but quickly recovered offering a small smile.

“You’re welcome. I was starting to wonder if you’d ever say anything.” It was a joke. “My name is Ruby.” Ruby sat down in her chair next to the bed. “What might your name be?”

“B-Blake.” Blake was hesitant, still not completely comfortable around this Ruby person.

“Well Blake, it’s nice to meet you. I found you out in the blizzard a week ago. What were you doing out there?” Blake drew into herself at the question. She couldn’t tell this stranger all the dark reasons as to why she was out in that snowstorm. Ruby could obviously tell that the faunus didn’t want to talk about it and quickly pacified her. “You don’t have to tell me anything Blake. I’m not demanding an explanation.” Out of nowhere she felt pain in her side, gasping as her hand came to hold the area, drawing it away to see that there was a bit of blood on it. Ruby jumped into action, having a pretty good idea what the problem was. “You tore one of the stitches, no doubt from that struggling. I’ll have to restitch it.” The redhead was grabbing some thread and a needle, also coming back with a bottle of something and a small jar. “Let’s lay you down and pull up that shirt, okay?”

“Okay…” Blake did as she was suppose to, grimacing when she pulled up her shirt to see how badly her ribs were sticking out and how thin her abdomen was. Ruby put a thick cloth under her where the wound was to soak up any stray liquids. There was a nasty gash on her side, now bleeding freely, but she could see that it was rimmed in red due to infection, clear puss seeping out giving off a sick stench that she could easily smell.

“Ooh, that’s not pretty.” Ruby winced sympathetically, taking the bottle and soaking a nearby rag with whatever liquid was inside. “This is gonna hurt pretty bad. Ready?” Blake gave a nod. She balled up the wet rag, squeezing the liquid out onto the wound and there was an instant reaction from the raven haired faunus. Her face scrunched up, her body tensing while boney fingers gripped at the pelts until the knuckles were ghostly white. Her throat let out an agonizing groan. Ruby kept letting the liquid run along the wound until the rag could deposit no more, letting it set in until the pain had washed away from Blake’s face. “The worst part is over. Now, it’s time for those stitches to go.” It didn’t take long for them to be removed especially with the help of a nearby dagger that had Blake on edge. It stung when the thread was removed, but it was nowhere near the painful sensation of that liquid that’s smell had stung the faunus’s nostrils.

“What-” Her skin flinched when Ruby started to apply this thick gel to the open wounds that barely bled now, it had an unpleasant sting when it made contact,”What is that?”

“It’s a herbal remedy infused with Dust, to speed up the process of healing, and numb any pain. I made it myself. I wouldn’t be doing this though if I had gotten all the infection out in the first place. In better news the gash on your leg should make a full recovery in no time, there was less infection in that one.” Ruby answered, her fingers gently dabbing on the blue tinted gel from the jar. “My apologies for there not being any bandages, they got pretty dirty and needed to be washed. They should be done drying by now though.” It sounded to Blake like the redhead was just thinking out loud after the apology. Blake said nothing as her wounds were treated, lastly being wrapped up with warm bandages that had been dried near the crackling fireplace. She yawned, her eyelids growing pretty heavy, to her surprise Ruby chuckled quietly. “How about some more water before you get some rest?”

“Yes, please.” In no time Ruby was back with a half full cup, not hesitating to assist the faunus with consuming all of it. A tired ‘thank you’ was given before she snuggled down into the warm pelts of the bed, her exhaustion allowing her to fall asleep quickly. This new person had her a bit puzzled, she had never met a human in her life that would go to such lengths for a faunus. Ruby didn’t even bring it up. This woman was strange indeed and she decided to bring that up the next time that she was awake.

 

Blake had been out for nearly a whole day now, and Ruby continued to watch over her as she slept, making sure she didn’t spend too much time on her injured side. One thing that shocked her was that no noise could wake her up, Ruby had accidentally dropped a whole bunch of pots and pans, wincing from the loud crash that they made. Turning to make sure she hadn’t woken the faunus girl, it was a relief that it hadn’t even made her twitch she was so out of it.

Ruby left for a while, making sure to leave a note and a cup of water for Blake just in case she woke up. She had come back with all the ingredients needed to make some soup for Blake to eat whenever the raven haired woman awoke. Solid foods would have to come later when her stomach could handle them. It was alarming how badly a condition the faunus was in, and although she wanted answers, she didn’t want to push the woman. She had obviously been refused water and food, tortured, and Ruby hated to think that there may be a sexual element to the torture she had been through.

When she had returned slightly after noon she noticed that Blake was thrashing around in the bed, whimpers and cries tearing through her throat, but they weren’t loud enough to hurt one’s ears. She had dropped her items to rush over, attempting to shake the faunus awake, but it didn’t work. All she could do was listen to her mumbling, offering her soothing whispers and gentle caresses as the faunus calmed down, finally becoming too exhausted to be fitful. “Easy Blake, easy…” She would coo, until a scent hit her nose. The distinct smell of urine. Checking the pelts confirmed her suspicion, Blake had soiled the bed. The liquid was dark brown from lack of hydration liquids, the smell far more prominent. It was okay though, she had more pelts to use, and it was about time for Blake to have some better clothes. With all the dirt caking her skin it couldn’t hurt to give her a bath too.

She readied a warm bath, easily stripping off the tattered rags of the raven haired girl’s attire and setting her in the large tub. Quickly, Ruby cleaned the bed, replacing the soiled hides with fresh ones, also picking out some miner’s clothes for the tiny Blake to wear. It did occur to her that her clothes would be a little too big for Blake, because she was so thin.

After that was done she started on cleaning the dirty faunus, feeling sick at how pale and boney her body was. Whoever did this to her was sick and deserved to be executed. That would have to wait, because right now Blake needed to be cleaned. Ruby scrubbed the dirt from the faunus’s skin, making sure that she was doing it gently. After every inch of her was clean, she went to work on her matted, ebony locks. She lathered the hair up with soap, noticing a few fleas and lice in the mix as she scratched the other woman’s scalp, Ruby was sure to be gentle around the black cat ears atop Blake’s head, not letting any water get into them as she too washed them. A quiet rumbling noise distracted her for a second before she realised where it was coming from. Blake was actually _purring_ . _How cute._ Ruby smiled a little.

Finally, when that was done, she dried her off and took her back to the bed to get her dressed. It didn’t make her feel weird to be handling the naked woman’s body, she had done so before after all. She used to assist some of the nurses with their work back in the city. She slipped on underclothes, followed by a white cotton shirt, then dark brown breeches, all of which hung loosely on her body. Gently laying her back down on the bed and covering her back up, it amazed the redhead that Blake didn’t wake up at all, but at least she wasn’t fitful anymore.

To occupy her time, she started the soup with the ingredients she had retrieved from town, sitting at her desk next to the bed between the cooking stages. While she waited, she read through a book that was hand written, pages full of writing, all the way to the end. The book was hard cover with black leather, no name written on the front of it. How many times has she read this tome? She had lost count years ago. It was a waste of time, knowing what would happen next all the time, the exact words that were used to describe each feeling, each situation. _Don’t know why I bother…_ Ruby let out a long, tired sigh, silver eyes moving over to watch the slumbering faunus. Her face was so calm, chest rising and falling in a relaxed manner. “Thank you.” She whispered, returning her attention back to the cooking soup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another chapter and I would like to add that Blake will seem a little OOC as well as Ruby, but it'll be okay. It's fiction so I'm gonna have fun with it. Please comment your thoughts it really keeps me motivated!!


	3. Chapter 3

Blake awoke feeling much better than when she had last time, more refreshed, less afraid. The first thing she noticed was that it was light out, some sunshine was seeping through the curtains and onto her face. Slowly, she was able to sit up, leaning back against the wall while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. When she was more capable of taking in her surroundings, she realised that she had different clothes on, ones that didn’t reek, and her hair fell smoothly over her shoulder. Her nose detected the faint scent of soap.  _ Did...did Ruby bathe me?  _ Her cheeks became pink at the thought, but she did feel significantly better. Blake looked around the what seemed to be one big room building.

There was a kitchen area on the opposite end, with a stone oven for baking, and cabinets for any type of plates or platters. To her left against the wall was a stone fireplace with a cooking spit over the red and yellow flame, the trophy heads of various game scattered along the walls. Deer, elk, caribou, even a few bears and wolves.  _ She must be a very good hunter. _ That wasn’t all that scattered the wall, there were also many Grimm masks nailed up from Ursai, Beowolves, Griffins, and a few others. It was unusual though, normal humans couldn’t kill the likes of Grimm. only those who were in touch with their Semblance could possibly have such strength.  _ There’s no way she could be a, Huntress, right? They work for The Order of Beacon! They despise the White Fang! _ This was not good at all. Anxiety was creeping into her system, but the prominent dryness in her throat distracted her.

She looked to her right, seeing the exit to the small building. If Ruby found out, she would be in major trouble, so she had to leave. Only her body wouldn’t let her, she was lucky she made it so far last time, in her condition she wouldn’t make it much further. “Damn…” Blake cursed quietly, a snore made her ears flick and drew her attention to where the sound originated. Ruby was fast asleep on the desk, a bit of drool escaping her mouth turning into a small puddle on the wooden surface. Her hand sat atop a unnamed book with a black cover.

“No I didn’t take…” A long snore, “the cookie from the jar…” Blake sweatdropped at the fact that Ruby was having a dream about something so innocent. It did have a sort of appeal, making the raven haired woman smile like she hadn’t in forever. Her throat and tongue cried out for water, but she could barely move, still heavy with sleep. Blake reached out her arm, not wishing to wake the sleeping girl up, but really wanting some water. Her hand didn’t make contact, retreating in fear.  _ He _ would hit her as punishment for asking anything, let alone saying something. She couldn’t bother Ruby. What if Ruby got angry? She held her hand against her chest and just relaxed back against the wall. She could just wait. Yeah, that eliminated the risk of punishment. 

It was a good fifteen minutes before the redhead started to stir, grumbling as she sat up, rubbing her sore neck with a stretch. When she opened her silvered orbs she instantly saw that Blake was finally awake. “Oh, you’re awake. How long have you been up?” Ruby rubbed her eyes with a yawn.

“Not long.” Blake shrugged her shoulders. Ruby gave her a knowing look.

“Yes, but  _ how _ long?”

“Um, fifteen minutes.” 

“You should have woken me up.”

“But you were sleeping.” The faunus argued.

“What does that matter? I’m taking care of you, so that means that you have me as your slave until you’re fit enough to leave. With that power my dear faunus,” Ruby had stood up and was now heading to the kitchen, turning to give Blake a kind smile when she said faunus, “you get to order me around, and that includes waking me up for anything you may need or want. Got it?” Blake was mildly astonished, giving a nod. “I’ll get you some water, and we’re gonna get you to eat something.” The mere mention of food had Blake’s mouth watering, stomach tightening with hunger like it had for the past couple of months.

It didn’t take long for the redhead to return with a bowl of food she had acquired from the cooking spit and some water, putting the bowl on the desk while handing the filled cup to the faunus woman. It smelled absolutely divine, her ears twitching rapidly. This time she could hold the cup herself, taking delicate sips, afraid that if she acted too eager, she might get yelled at. The looming fear of  _ his _ wrath never left her mind, just sat idly in the back. “May I,” She hesitated, holding the cool tin cup with both her hands, setting it in her lap, “May I, a-ask you something?” Ruby gave her a curious look.

“Sure, you can ask me anything you want. I’m sure you’re curious.”

“Why, are you helping me? I’m a faunus-”

“I’ll stop you right there. You being a faunus doesn’t change the fact that you were near death and needed help.” 

“But people hate the faunus-”

“Not  _ all _ people hate faunus. There are people out there who think they deserve equality, I happen to be one of those people.” The redhead pointed at herself. “Now, despite all that faunus stuff, I’m helping you because no one would have been able to. All my life I’ve wanted to help people, that doesn’t change because you have cat ears.” Blake was silent, looking away from Ruby’s silver eyes, ears going flat on her head. “So, what’s your next question?” 

“The Grimm masks on the wall. Do they mean that you have control over your Aura?” 

“Yes, it does.”

“Then are you a Huntress from The Order?” Blake paled at seeing a dark expression come across her face, eyes hardening at nothing in particular. Ruby sighed, forcing away the dark thoughts offering an indifferent look that seemed a little tired to Blake. The woman turned to pick up the bowl, filling the spoon with some broth and chunks of chicken. 

“I used to be.” Blake took the offered spoonful, feeling Ruby take away her water to sit it on the desk replacing the space in her hands with the bowl. “Go slow.” The bowl wasn’t very full, less than half. “I quit just as the war was starting.” 

“That was over four years ago.” The faunus slurped up some of the broth, the salty taste was delicious.

“That’s right.” 

“Then how old are you?”

“Twenty-two.” 

“You’re younger than me. I’m two years your senior.” She couldn’t help but be shocked. The woman in front of her looked so mature, the scars making her look like she had spent her whole life on the battlefield. Her eyes had an aged look to them, like they had seen more than the world could offer. Experienced a lot of hardships in life.

“I discovered my powers at a very young age. Nowadays, I just kill any Grimm I come across on the mountain.” 

“Hmm.” Blake was silent, steadily making her way through the soup. “Do you live alone here?” It did seem that way.

“Yeah, I’ve lived here by myself for years now. Don’t get many visitors here, unless they want to trudge up the mountain for nearly no reason.” 

“Don’t you get lonely?” Ruby smiled at that question, chuckling as she leaned back in her chair spreading her arms out for emphasis on her next statement.

“Everyone gets lonely. It doesn’t matter if you live alone or you live with others, people still find that there are times when they feel lonely. Me? Yeah, I get lonely every once and a while and I’ll take a trip down into the city, don’t stay for long. The company down there isn’t quite the best kind. I’m just glad I have Zwei.” Ruby let out an amused laugh. “You’re very inquisitive. You know that?” 

“I’m sorry.” Her ears laid flat on her head feeling like she might have upset the redhead with all her questions.

“Ah, it’s alright. No harm done.” Ruby casually shrugged her shoulders. Amber eyes looked down into the now empty bowl, letting out a whine, still not sated. The sound drew out a sympathetic smile from the retired Huntress. “I know you want more, but it’s best to let that settle. Usually with victims of torture and starvation, they’ll gorge until they throw it all back up since they aren’t used to having something in their stomach. Which doesn’t allow for them to get the nutrition they need.” 

“Okay…” Blake sighed, remembering that she was now clean. “Did you, bathe me?” It was embarrassing to think that this woman had washed her, let alone seen her naked. 

“I did. You were thrashing around and you had an accident. So, I gave you a bath along with some better clothes.” The cat faunus winced at the mention of her having an accident.

“I’m sorry.” She looked down, ashamed.

“Stop apologizing. You’ve done nothing wrong. It wasn’t in your control anyway.” Ruby smiled at her, washing away her worries. 

“I’ve never met a human like you before.” 

“How so?” 

“You’re sacrificing your time to help a complete stranger, who’s a faunus. Most people would have just walked right on by, not giving a care in the world. You’ve been, nothing but  _ nice _ to me.” 

“Well, Blake, I’m not like ‘most people’ in the world. You’ll realize that at some point during your recovery. There is something that I have been meaning to bring up, though.” Ruby seemed like she had remembered something. 

“What is it?” 

“Your Aura, you’ve unlocked it, yet it remains out of your reach. Tell me. Did someone seal it away?” 

“H-How did you-” The faunus was stunned yet again. It was one thing to be able to detect active Auras, but it took a whole other level of ability to detect ones that had been locked or sealed away. 

“It doesn’t matter how. Answer my question.” The raven-red head shook her head slowly. Blake’s ears flattened at the memory.  _ He _ had invaded her soul, chaining it up and forcefully hiding it away to where she could no longer access it. So she couldn’t fight or escape his punishments. It had been so painful, she remembered the strain it had put on her throat from the screaming, how he would hit her, yelling at her to be quiet. Blake simply nodded. “I hear it’s a very,  _ painful _ , process.” Another nod. “Was it the same person who, did all this to you?” Ruby gestured to all the yellow, healing bruises. 

“Yes.” 

“I see…” The ex-Huntress stood up, getting the bowl to she could refill it with more of the chicken soup.  _ That’s it? She’s not going to ask anymore? _ “Here.” Blake was again given the bowl. 

“Thanks.” 

Blake ate in silence, most of her questions had been answered, and she was thankful that Ruby wasn’t prying into her past. She did as she was told and ate slowly, not wanting to throw up on the new pelts after already urinating on the previous ones. The silence was a bit awkward but Ruby kept busy, checking her supplies, sitting at the desk so she could read the worn book, occasionally her attention was dragged away by the sound of Blake slurping on her meal followed by a familiar scratching sound at the door.  _ I totally forgot about him!  _ The redhead cursed herself for her negligence. Getting up from her spot she walked to the door, pulling it open.

Blake watched the raven-red head, feeling a nippy chill enter the warm home that sent a chill up her spine. As soon as the door was opened it was then closed, not only the cold air coming in but a dash of dark grey and white. The smell hit her nose, instantly she had recognised the scent and froze up, not able to move from fear. It was a dog. “Sorry I left ya out there for so long Zwei, I had some things to do and got distracted.” Ruby was talking to the animal, that pranced around, stopping in its tracks when it realized that the person in the bed was awake. The little nub of his tail started to wag, back end moving with it from excitement. Blake felt quite the opposite. Due to her feline faunus blood, she wasn’t very fond of dogs, less so since  _ he _ let one attack her. Sure the dog that had hurt her was bigger than this small one, but she was scared no less. 

Zwei slowly trotted over to the side of the bed, hopping up to put his front paws on the furniture, allowing him a closer look at the new human in his home. She smelt nice. His tongue hung out, lightly panting, breath ghosting over the skin on Blake’s arm. Her amber eyes were wide, not breaking eye contact with the little dog, but not moving an inch even though she was shaking. This dog was different than the ones she had encountered, big ones that would bark and snarl, baring their teeth in a threatening display of aggression. Zwei was just staring at her with newfound curiosity, tail wagging with excitement to see her. It baffled the faunus. “That little bundle of energy would be my dear Zwei.” Ruby said, though Blake listened her eyes refused to unlock from the corgie’s. 

“H-Hi…” Her voice shook just as bad as her body upon greeting the little animal, Ruby caught on pretty quick from the shakiness. 

“Are you afraid of him Blake?” Her question was quiet and soothing as she made her way over to sit in her seat. 

“Y-Yes-s.” She nodded slowly, the spoon was clattering against the rim of the bowl from how harsh her shivers were. 

“Zwei would never hurt you. I promise.” Ruby picked the grey and white corgi up, cradling him in her arms like an infant. “Isn’t that right?” She laughed, giving him a small kiss to his wet nose. “Zwei this is Blake. She’s going to be staying with us for a while. So, you be a good boy and protect her okay?” Zwei gave a bark of acknowledgment. “Good. Glad we understand each other.” The raven-red head put the dog back down so he could roam around the house, while he did that Ruby turned her attention back to the less scared faunus. “Still afraid?” 

“A l-little.” 

“Is it because you’re a cat faunus that you’re afraid of dogs?” Blake gave the younger woman, a jittery look.

“No. I-” She sighed, scared to say anything, but wanting to because maybe it could help her. “While I was held captive. The man who, did all this to me, he let a dog attack me. I had fought against him and he was angry so...yeah.” Her amber eyes didn’t meet the silver ones gazing at her.

“Did he now.” Ruby’s voice was deep, filled with venom that froze Blake in her spot. “Was he one of the faunus haters?”

“He was a faunus.” There was silence as the information was processed by the crimson Huntress, who grew very angry in the matter of seconds.

“So, you’re telling me a faunus treated his own kind this way!?” Ruby bust out of her chair, the force making it fall back and clatter against the floor. Her fists were clenched at her sides as she stood, fuming with rage, eyes hard enough to kill with a single glance. The outburst frightened the cat faunus, her body trying to shrink as much as possible from instinct, eyes shut tight in wait of a painful blow. She waited and waited, but the blow never came, she peeked up at the still standing Huntress whose eyes were burning holes into wooden floor beneath her. “That’s fucked up.” She mumbled with a growl. “Nobody should do that to anyone,  _ especially _ , their own kind. Fuckin’ prick.” When her eyes looked up after a moment of calming herself she could see how on edge Blake was. “Sorry.” 

Ruby sat back down once she picked up her chair, putting her face in her hands as Blake just sat there trying to calm herself down and eat the rest of the soup still in her bowl. “It’s okay.” She slurped some from her spoon. It was at a lukewarm temperature, but that didn’t change that with every bite it lit up her taste buds with flavor. Zwei came over and jumped into Ruby’s lap, which she gladly held him like an infant once more, scratching at his ears while rubbing his chest. The little animal was in pure bliss, eyes closing slightly at the sensation of nails scraping behind his upright ears. Blake watched the scene feeling a sort of pang in her chest that made her frown. Watching the pup get scratched made the area behind her own ears tingle with want, the desire to be scratched too.

“That shouldn’t have happened to you Blake, there is no reason or excuse that can justify the way you had been treated. Did anyone else know what was happening to you?” Ruby’s voice was soft now, not demanding an answer only encouraging her to talk. 

“Yes,” She put the bowl on the desk, her hands returning to her lap to fiddle with one another, “They would join in.” A sickening chill ran the length of her spine at the memories, her stomach lurched mildly. Tears welled up, stinging the backs of her eyes as her hands clenched the blanket that lay over her lap. 

“Not a single one tried to help?”

“No, they didn’t!” Blake cried out, her tears falling and sobs wracking her body. “They just did as they were told! ‘Hit her harder’! ‘Here whip her with this’! ‘Take her pants off’...” She trailed off into a string of sobs, covering her wet face with her hands. Ruby froze, she had feared that sexual acts had been committed without consent, but now her suspicions were true. She stood up with a concerned look, laying the pup in her spot as she sat on on the edge of the bed and reached for Blake. Blake shied away. “Don’t touch me.” The faunus choked out attempting to curl up into a ball. 

“Blake...c’mon.” The redhead cautiously made her way closer to the crying woman, arms reaching out to wrap around her small, quaking frame. Blake’s ears twitched and her body flinched when the strong arms made contact, slowly but securely coiling around her and pulling her close. She was too upset to care about being so close, so vulnerable, she couldn’t get any lower than she already had been. It was comforting to be in the caring woman’s arms, it made her feel secure, safe, safe from  _ him _ and all that came with  _ him _ . Blake nuzzled her face into Ruby’s chest, grasping at the material of her shirt so that she couldn’t, wouldn’t vanish. She smelt of dog, but Blake didn’t care, the smell of roses was just beneath it offering a comforting smell along with the comforting embrace. Her sobs and cries were hard to the point her voice and chest began to hurt, but they weren’t loud enough to prevent her ears from picking up Ruby’s cooing. “Just let it all out Blake. I’ve got you.” The sweetness in her voice was like honey to her ears, smooth so much so that the ebony haired girl forced her head more firmly into the younger woman’s chest, soaking her shirt with her tears.

 

Ruby laid Blake down since she had cried herself to sleep, pulling the covers up over her shoulders and just sitting in her spot for a moment, observing the faunus. She couldn’t even begin to understand what Blake had gone through and she wanted Blake to talk about it, but refused to invade the woman’s privacy especially since it was so painful. Her pale, sunken cheeks were covered in tear stains, body finally at ease. Sometimes it hurt to look at her, her thin body so frail from neglect, pale like she hasn’t seen the sun in a lifetime.

To take her mind off the woman’s state, she went to cleaning the place, just to distract herself. Her home wasn’t that big and it never got that dirty so cleaning was a small chore. Once that was all done she fed Zwei some meat she had gathered up from an elk during one of her hunts. The small dog happily started to wolf it down, if Ruby didn’t know better she’d think Zweis stomach was three times his size by the amount he eats everyday. She had a strong desire to get out of the house for some fresh air. Leaving a note and some water for Blake in case she was out too long, she grabbed her bow. “Zwei, keep a close eye on Blake. Protect her while I’m gone okay?” The corgi barked making Ruby smile as she closed her cabin door behind her. 

Her feet crunched in the snow that was at least a foot high due to the blizzard a week ago. The cold air bit at her skin, a white and grey cloak wrapped around that served as both protection from the weather and camouflage. The arrows were snug against her back, bow held tightly in her hand. Behind the cabin was a small barn that held both of her horses, the forge and smelter just next to it. Then a short walk behind all that was a large pond, ice a couple inches thick in places, but paper thin in others. She never walked on it, fearing that the ice would break under her weight and hypothermia wasn’t really on her agenda. 

When she went out to hunt, she preferred to walk instead of using one of her horses, their hooves were a little too loud and with each step threatened to scare off any game. Ruby walked for a while, going deeper into the mountain grounds, climbing over sharp rocks and cliffs to get to her normal hunting spot that was on a small ledge about fifteen feet from the ground, hidden by barren trees. On the small little plain in her vision was a very popular place for any game, the small wintergreen bushes were thick with ripe berries that had a very sweet scent. With that scent they didn’t just attract deer or elk, they drew in some Grimm from time to time as well. Nothing she couldn’t handle though. 

Getting herself into a relatively comfortable position that was somewhere between sitting and crouching, she prepared to wait, making sure she had and arrow ready. Hunting was a game of patience, Ruby was blessed with lots of it, unlike her sister who couldn’t sit still long enough for a deer to come around whenever they went hunting when they were little. She waited for hours, breaths silently fogging in the air, the temperature dropping around her as the sun began to fall under the horizon. Ruby was growing a bit disappointed, she hadn’t seen anything, and she was rapidly losing her vision due to the growing darkness. 

Then in the corner of her eye she saw a bit of white fur, looking over she smiled. It was a good sized Caribou, slowly stalking its way to a bush. Quietly, Ruby raiser her bow and drew it back, making sure to keep her breaths steady and quiet. When the bow was drawn enough, she set to aiming right for the flank so it could hit some major organs. Her silver eyes watched the animal nibble at some of the berries, this was her chance, it was still. Releasing a long exhale her fingers release the string, the arrow making a sharp whistle as it flew off, sinking into the Caribou’s flank. 

It jumped hopping around slightly before weakly falling to the ground, feet still moving in an attempt to flee. Ruby smiled from success, pride filling her chest, but this was always the part she dreaded while on a hunt. Dragging the heavy ass body back to her cabin. 

By the time she got back and cleaned her kill, the moon was all the light that she had left. She yawned as she entered her home, greeted by a happy Zwei but a very fitful Blake, who was thrashing in her sleep, suppressing cries of fear. “No! Please Adam stop! Stop! Adam!” In a flurry of rose petals Ruby was by her side, trying to shake her awake.

“Blake! Blake it’s me!” Ruby called out, relieved slightly when the faunus’s eyes flew open. In an instant Blake was throwing herself into Ruby, holding on impossibly tight to her only safety. Ears laying impossibly flat against her head. 

“Ruby, don’t let him hurt me anymore! I’m so scared!” She sobbed, still grasping at the Huntress with desperation.   
“Shh Blake, I won’t. I won’t let him hurt you anymore, I promise. You’re safe with me. I’ll protect you. Shh, I’m here.” The raven-red head cooed, holding the crying woman to her protectively. 

Blake couldn’t believe herself, clasping onto a woman she barely knew for safety like an infant to a mother. It was like an instinct though, her mind may not fully believe in the safety Ruby was offering but her body certainly knew that Ruby wasn’t lying to her. Her dreams were making her relive everything that had been done to her, and she didn’t want to bother the woman with her own trouble, but a part of her saw that Ruby didn’t mind at all. Blake was grateful for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo another one down! I really need to make these longer don't I? I know I do. Comment!!


	4. Chapter 4

A month has passed and Blake had made significant progress in her recovery. She was finally able to walk around even if only a little here and there when she was fed up with staying in bed, and she had gained some of her weight back. Her appetite was healthy and she could eat enough without getting sick, but the best part was that her nightmares were affecting her less and less. Sure her dreams were still bad, but her fear had decreased with Ruby’s presence.

Speaking of Ruby, she had been a complete angel to Blake. Always helping her when she needed it, offering to do simple things that Blake could easily do herself. She even helped Blake use the bathroom for a while until she was able to do it all herself. Blake was glad that it was over because having someone else help you relieve yourself was a very embarrassing situation. Ruby wouldn’t leave Blake’s side until she was sure she was asleep, and would always make her trips to the city quick. At one point when the faunus needed to bathe, and was still too weak to do it by herself, Ruby offered to help and said she would gladly blindfold herself if it meant Blake would be more comfortable even though it would have been counter productive. 

She awoke when sunlight met the back of her eyelids, arousing her from her slumber. Her golden eyes fluttered open, slowly adjusting to the amount of light in the room. With a long yawn, Blake sat up, ears instinctively twitching around to better understand her surroundings while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. When the grogginess dissipated she took a moment to gaze around, mostly looking for her caretaker who was nowhere to be seen. Upon seeing that Ruby wasn’t inside she set out to find any kind of note that the ex-Huntress might’ve left behind. To her surprise and worry, there was none, not a single one left on the desk or the nightstand, kitchen counter or anything. 

Growing anxious Blake’s brows pinched, moving her ears in the hopes of hearing Ruby in the bath or close outside the cabin. She walked around to ensure that she didn’t happen to just miss the note, but still she came up empty. With mild panic speeding up her heart rate, a small but distinct sound hit her ears coming from outside. The sound of grunts, aggressive and strained with exertion most commonly associated with fighting in battle. “Ruby?” She started to panic. Blake tensed up, jumping to action by moving her body as fast as possible to the door and swinging it open. 

The cold winter air bit at her skin like a viper, instantly seeping into her bones because she was only in some basic, thin minor’s clothes. Her feet were bare so when she stepped into the tall snow, the powder seemed to burn her bare flesh. Head whipping around frantically to try and spot the crimsoness, and her eyes finally landed on her. Ruby was wearing a bit of winter clothing, not even breaking a sweat as a large, cleaver like weapon was swung at her with tremendous force. 

A big man was half covered in thick, golden armor with his large body swinging and twisting around fluidly attempting to land a strike on the, definitely smaller, woman. The man’s blade was long and thick, it just looked heavy like a mountain of bars made of pure gold. That was the last thing on Blake’s mind at the moment, to her Ruby looked like she was in some sort of danger, but she quickly noticed that the woman was grinning, like she was enjoying the little duel. It confused the faunus slightly, so she stayed back to just observe, not letting the cold snow in her feet distract her. “C’mon, Yatsu! You can do better than that!” Ruby called jokingly to the man as they circled each other in their respective fighting stances.

“I simply do not wish to spill the blood of an old comrade and friend. Coco and Velvet would be greatly displeased if you showed up with wounds.” The man smiled at her, reaching his cleaver back for a horizontal swing. Before the blade could even come near Ruby, the woman was gone in what looked like a flurry of rose petals. Blake’s eyes widened as she watched the unusual disappearance. It wasn’t a second later that the woman was behind him, hitting the area behind his right arm, which was hanging onto his sword. Ruby must have hit a pressure point because the sword fell into the snow and his arm hung limply at his side. In another flash of roses, the two were on the ground, Ruby having pinned the large man who could no longer reach his weapon. 

After a few moments of struggling the man tapped his good hand into the snow, surrendering the duel. The ex-Huntress let him go and they both stood, flashing smiles at one another as his sword dissolved into the air. The man noticed Blake’s presence and cast his gaze to her, along with Ruby who was shocked at first and then started to fret. “Blake, what are you doing outside!? You’ll catch your death out here like that, and you’re just  _ starting _ to get better.” While the raven-red head nagged, she walked over with the big man in tow. It put the faunus on edge that he was getting so close.

“S-Sorry, I didn’t see you or a note so, I got a little scared.” She played with her hands sheepishly, looking down with embarrassment. 

“I knew I forgot something!” Ruby’s face was alight with realization, turning into an apologetic look. “Sorry.” Her hand reached around to rub the raven haired woman’s back who offered her a smile of forgiveness. “Let's get inside and I’ll make you breakfast.” The three walked into the cabin that was pleasantly warm on Blake’s body. 

“I can make my own breakfast Ruby.” 

“Then at least let me help.”

“Fine.” She said with exasperation, shooting the younger girl a smile that was happily returned.

“Oh, Yatsuhashi. You wanna stay for breakfast?” Ruby turned to the big man who has been silent the entire conversation. 

“No thank you. Coco already made something for me before I came.” Yatsuhashi looked over Blake curiously as she stood next to Ruby. His size was intimidating and she was trying her best to hide that fact. “Who might this be?”

“Yatsu this is Blake. Blake this is Yatsuhashi. We know each other from the Order.” Ruby happily introduced. Blake gave the large warrior a slight nod with a quiet ‘nice to meet you’.

“It’s an honor.” He reached out his hand to shake hers but being on edge with how close he was already made her step back to hide behind Ruby, burying her nose into the woman’s shoulder blade as she stared uncertainly over Ruby’s shoulder. Yatsu withdrew his hand and just stared curiously.

“She’s pretty shy. Your size is probably making her nervous.” The Huntress chuckled.

“I see. My apologies. Velvet has been wondering what you’ve been up too lately that could keep you from visiting the tavern. I’ll be sure to let her know that it’s nothing to worry about.” 

“Thanks Yatsu. Don’t mention this to Coco, I don’t want her making dirty insinuations about me having another person living with me.” Silver eyes rolled with playful annoyance.

“I won’t. Promise.” The dark haired man smiled with a small laugh. 

“Blake, why don’t you start breakfast while I see Yatsu off. I’ll be in to help in a minute.” Ruby turned to smile at her.

“Sure.” The faunus affirmed.

“It was an honor meeting you. I hope the next time we see one another, you won't be so uncomfortable around me.” Yatsu bowed once more before being ushered out the door along with the raven-red headed woman.  _ I doubt it... _ Blake sighed, lowering her head for moment before going about cooking up something to eat. 

Ruby came back in followed by a peppy little Zwei who decided that he wanted to thaw off near the fireplace while the two woman made food. At first they worked in silence, but soon Ruby found a reason to start a conversation. “Have you read all of those books already?” She questioned in awe.

“Yeah, I’m a pretty quick reader.” 

“No kidding. Nearly ten books in a month. Damn…I really need to get you some more things to do to occupy your time. Unless you think you’re ready to start going into town with me?” The subject of going to town was one that was hardly discussed, but one that Blake wasn’t totally ready to talk about.

“I-I don’t know Ruby. I don’t think I’m ready to be around other people. They’re just so, unpredictable.” To her, humans weren’t predictable, neither were some of the people she knew from the White Fang.  _ He _ was the most unpredictable. Nice one minute, cruel and heartless the next. At first he was so sweet, like a proper gentleman, he was a dream to her. He was everything she had wanted in a romantic partner, but then he changed, specifically when the war took a turn for the worst. He was angry all the time, yelling and screaming and when she wouldn’t give him what he wanted he resorted to extreme measures. She found out later that he wanted a woman who would be his slave, his property, and she refused to be such. It went against what she was fighting for, freedom, freedom from oppression but just freedom in general and what he wanted from her took that away. 

“Blake, I’d be by your side every second. I’d keep you safe.” 

“What if he finds me though? What if one of his henchmen see me and tell him where I am. He’d come for me and spill anyone’s blood to get me back and then, then everything will just happen all over again…” Fresh tears were starting to spring to her eyes, but she fought them back still unable to control her hiccupped breathing. Warm arms wrapped around her, pulling her into embrace that she gladly accepted.

“You can’t let you fear keep you from living your life the way you want. Fear prevents you from having a happy life and you deserve to be happy, Blake.” Ruby murmured into her raven locks.

“It’s just not that easy to wipe away a year’s worth of fear.” 

“It’s only as hard as you let it. You don’t have to go now, take time to prepare yourself. At least think about it okay?” The Huntress encouraged pulling away from the embrace, giving Blake her most dazzling smile. The raven haired woman felt a sort of longing when she could no longer feel Ruby’s arms, she wanted to continue to feel the woman’s warmth and the safety that she provided. With a nod they finished making their morning breakfast and ate for a while. 

“So, who are Coco and Velvet?” Blake asked for the sake of starting a conversation as she chewed on some eggs, Ruby chugging away some milk.

“Other Hunters from the Order. Since they got married Lord Ozpin has been giving them more time off to be with one another. I used to work alongside them for a while before they got together.” The Huntress explained with a faint look of nostalgia upon her features.

“Aren’t they both women?” She asked, a bit baffled at the thought of two females being together romantically. Of course she knew that couples like that existed, but in the Fang if two faunus were to pair with anyone it would be with the opposite gender to they could continue to bring more faunus into the world, which could not be accomplished by a same sex couple. 

“Yeah. Why? You not a fan of same gender marriage?” There was no malice or disapproval in Ruby’s tone to Blake’s relief. The last thing she wanted to do was offend the one who took care of her.

“No, no. Of course not. I’m all for people loving who they want. I’m just a little curious how a couple like that would look. I’ve never seen two people of the same gender together in a romantic way before. The White Fang didn’t allow such choice, every couple had to be able to breed and bring more faunus into the world for the revolution.” Ruby chuckled at the information.

“No matter how much they refuse to let people who love each other be together, same gender or not, love finds a way. Love is one of the strongest forces that mankind has  _ ever _ known, love finds a way and in return two people find any way they can to be together. It’s funny though, that you referred to the sexual act as  _ breeding _ instead of anything else.” The woman pointed out to which the raven haired faunus quirked her brow. 

“What do you mean?” 

“The term breeding usually means it is specifically an act to pass on a bloodline and produce offspring. If it were just for pleasure, it would be called fucking or sex, but if it’s between two people who are deeply in love with one another, that is called making love. The stuff with the Fang, is something between breeding and sex most likely.” Blake couldn’t feel anything but genuinely confused.

“There’s a difference between sex and making love? I always thought they were the same thing.” Ruby looked at her, stunned.

“There’s a  _ huge _ difference!” Blake jumped at how loud the crimsoness’s voice sounded throughout the cabin, even shocking Zwei from his little nap in front of the fire. “Sex is just all the physical stuff, the simple pleasure of the body! Making love is worlds away from that! It’s not just the pleasure it’s the emotions, the overflow of emotions. Making love is the complete merging of two being’s  _ souls _ !” She exclaimed. “Have you not experienced that at all?”

“No, no I haven’t. I’ve never,” The older woman paused for a moment, “been in love. Have you?” Ruby seemed like a very passionate person, and Blake had assumed before that she had once been in love with someone. Golden orbs connected with silver ones with curiosity. Those silver eyes seemed to become soft, like solid steel to liquid mercury. A warm, fluttery feeling rose up in the faunus’s stomach, but another part of her felt like she didn’t want to know the answer. The thought of Ruby loving some person from her past, or making love with said person upset her and she couldn’t understand why. 

“I’ve never  _ made _ love, but I’m  _ in _ love with someone,” Blake’s heart dropped slightly,”and that someone save my life. I would have died if-” Ruby sighed cutting herself off with a sigh, rubbing her forehead with her hand. “They saved me.” 

“Then I’m grateful to them.” 

“Huh?” Ruby looked at her, confused.

“If you would have died, then you wouldn’t have saved me and then we’d both be dead. So, I’m grateful to this person.” She swallowed her last bite of egg, satisfied that she was able to eat much more now that her stomach was used to being filled with food. 

“So am I.” The woman sighed, propping her head up with her elbow on her desk.

“What’s the story? How did they save you?”

“Ah, you don’t wanna hear about that. It was just so simple.” Ruby stood taking all the empty dished over into her kitchen. 

“Not every good story is complex. The folk tales that people tell their children are simple and enjoyable.” Blake reasoned, scooting herself so she was fully on the bed with her back leaned against the headboard. Amber eyes watched the other woman for a while as she did simple things like put the dishes away and pet Zwei behind his ears. She couldn’t help but feel like there was this big part of Ruby’s life that she didn’t know about, but now, after being around the young woman, being nurtured back to life by her, she wanted to know more about her more than anything in the world. This woman was one of the very first friends she had made since her time in the White Fang. The last friend she remembered had left when she was young, moved all the way to Mistral just as she moved to Vale. 

“You know what?” Ruby looked at her.

“What?” Blake tilted her head slightly as the raven-red head picked up the black book from her desk and handed it to the faunus.

“I think you should read this. You might think it’s really good.” 

“What is it about?” The faunus took the book into her hands, checking the covers for a title or name. 

“Ever heard of the Knight-Captain?” Amber eyes flicked up to meet silver. “Well, not the one Vale has now, but the previous one.”

“The one that killed innocent faunus children from an orphanage?” Blake’s voice almost came out as a growl. A sad look crossed the ex-Huntress’s face, her throat bobbed with a gulp.

“That’s the one.” She nodded, pointing to the tome in her hands. “The Knight-Captain herself wrote that and she gave it to me.”

“She gave it to you? Why would she do that?” 

“Because we were really close when I was in the Order.”

“You were friends with a killer?” Blake’s eyes widened in disbelief. A ghost of a smile formed on the raven-red head’s lips.

“Despite what the world thinks, she wasn’t a killer. Besides, there is more than just one side to a story. You should read it while I go down to the city.”

“How long are you going to be gone?” 

“A while, got a bundle of things to do. I might not be back until nightfall. Need to check on some things, maybe go have a drink at the tavern. Want me to bring you anything? Liquor or some type of food that you want?” Ruby asked, standing up so she could prepare for a trip to town, putting on a black long coat and pulling up the hood. “Maybe a few more books?”

“Some books would be nice.” Blake nodded, running her fingers over the black cover of the book in her hands.

“Okay. Will you be alright while I’m out? This will be my longest trip, I don’t want you to feel afraid or alone.” Silver eyes gazed with concern at the raven haired faunus who simply shook her head. 

“I think I’ll be alright. After all, I have Zwei here to protect me if anything does happen.” Over the month the faunus had become more accustomed to the small canine, but she wasn’t very fond of him. He still gave her a small scare.

“Sounds like she’s finally tolerating you buddy!” Ruby laughed at the corgi that gave a high pitched bark and a little wiggle of his stub of a tail. “I’m counting on you.” The ex-Huntress’s tone was one of mild warning as she pointed at the furball that still lay in front of the fireplace. “Anyway, I’ll be back as soon as I can Blake.”

“Alright. Bye Ruby.”

“Bye!” The door closed and Blake stared at it for a while before casting her amber eyes at the worn book in her lap.  _ The Knight-Captain herself wrote this? I thought she was missing, or at most dead.  _

Blake had heard the story, whole orphanage of faunus children slaughtered. Guards say that they found the Knight-Captain out cold on the floor drenched in blood, she couldn’t remember anything about what had happened. She was rumored to be the nicest person one could ever meet, a heart of gold, but the day that the incident happened everyone believed she had done it. Later on she broke out of the dungeon and people were later on told that she was dead. One of the people who went out to search for her came back and reported that she had been overwhelmed in battle with some large Grimm, and there was nothing left of her. “Maybe Ruby quit because she lost such a close friend. I wonder if  _ anyone _ believed that the Knight-Captain was innocent besides Ruby. I hope...I hope I didn’t offend her for the way I had spoken.” 

She opened the book and began to read the handwritten writing on the parchment pages. 

 

_ All my life, being a Huntress was the first thing I focused on. I knew somewhere deep down I was destined to help people, to defend everything that mankind had built in the last million years. In every life though, there are events that ruin you in a way almost nobody can repair, not even one’s self. I know this feeling.  _

_ I guess I should start at the beginning, where my life actually started. When I was nine, I was accepted into the Xiao Long family with Taiyang, Yang, and Ruby. Unfortunately, Ruby’s mother Summer Rose had died years ago, so the family was one person short. They were all so kind, loving and nurturing, Ruby was always there, there was never a moment when she wasn’t. She kept me feeling great about myself, comforting me when the pressure became too much. _

_ Once I discovered my Aura, everything changed. I was trained to the point where my body could no longer stand, arms too weak to even lift a spoon, too tired to even eat. Ruby trained with me too, she trained just as much as I did because she wanted to keep me company. Taiyang pushed and pushed for me to break my own limits, he was comparing me to Summer. I didn’t like that, not at all. I’m my own person, I’m unique, so I shouldn’t be compared to anyone other than myself.  _

_ Ruby and I entered the order at the same time, even though she was younger, she had talent with her weapon. We met a bundle of amazing people that quickly became our friends. Jaune Ark was a bit on the weaker side of being a Huntsman, but Pyrrha Nekos had his back. It was obvious that she liked him and it was only a matter of time before they finally decided to be together. Yang met a girl named Weiss Schnee. Yes,  _ the _ Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee dust industry. At first she didn’t really like us but after a while she became open and honest about her life. Her and Yang became particularly close. Ren and Nora were an interesting pair to say the least. Lie Ren was the strong silent type, and Nora was a wild child, so I guess they balanced each other out. Coco and Velvet came later, they had been in a relationship long before anyone else. Velvet was a sweet as candy rabbit faunus who was always fretting and worrying about anyone with any kind of injury. Coco is refined and intensely passionate about fashion. Yatsuhashi was like a Deathstalker, huge, strong, and impossible to move. He’s very well connected with his inner self and has a very formal personality. Fox, well, we still don’t know a damn thing about that guy. _

 

“So the Knight-Captain was an adoptive sister to Ruby? No wonder Ruby looked so sad.” The faunus mused out loud. She continued to read for hours and hours, she didn’t even know that time had passed so fast. This story was so real, so  _ intimate _ . Blake was seeing into one of the strongest people that had ever been in the position of Knight-Captain, seeing into her, deep down under the skin. This woman was amazing in Blake’s mind, the more she read, the more she cared about who the Knight-Captain truly was, not what she supposedly  _ did _ . 


	5. Chapter 5

Ruby made it into the outer part of the city, all clay buildings and hay roofs, muddy pathways covered in snow. Everytime she entered the city she felt a little on edge, always double checking that her black hood covered enough of her face so that she wasn’t recognised. People and horses roamed around the road, going about their daily business without a second thought. Her first stop was the bookstore for some new literature for the raven haired faunus to read, whenever she decides to finish the Knight-Captain’s story.  _ If she even truly wants to read it _ . 

She wasn’t very sure what kind of books Blake liked reading, but she had the faunus explain what kind she had liked and she was surprised. Blake loved romance stories, ones of true emotional connection, so those were exactly the kinds of books Ruby would get. After getting some she put them in her satchel before looking around, debating on her next location. Where did she feel like going first? Sneaking around the castle, or drinking away the sour feeling in her being with some hard liquor?  _ Castle first _ . _ Drinking later.  _ She silently scolded herself, for even considering drinking in the tavern. 

It would take a few hours to make it to the castle on foot so she better start walking. Along the way she simply wondered to herself as her feet carried her along. How were they all doing? Had anything changed since last month when she ‘visited’? How was her father doing, had his condition improved? Was he finally letting her go? Ruby sighed heavily, rubbing at one of her temples in a faint attempt to sooth the beginning headache. 

The city was big, really big, but she knew the entire place like the back of her hand. There were four areas, or rings more accurately. The outer ring, fourth area, was for the poor and homeless, where all the undesirables lived and spent their time. The third area, was the factory or working district where all the hard labor workers did their jobs. It was also the place where common people lived and stayed. The second was the shopping ring also known as the wealthy ring where the rich lived and spent lots of money on expensive materials. The first, most important area was the castle and a small amount of living quarters for the most successful Hunters.

As Ruby walked a few streets she was able to recognise. All the back streets that she would use to hide from Yang when they were playing, the shortcuts to her favorite sweets shops. So many good memories were experienced along these dirt paths and alleyways, as well as so many bad ones that the raven-red head would rather forget.

 

By the time Ruby had made it to the castle, also known as Beacon Castle, she ducked behind buildings and crept through the shadows like a stealthy assassin. It wasn’t too difficult due to the fact that she had done this many, many times before, making this trip roughly once a month. By now the guard shifts were imprinted in her brain because they never seemed to change, therefore each visit got easier and easier to execute. 

She made it to the garden, which had always been her favorite place to visit during her time at the castle, enjoying the company of her friends and family as they observed the beautiful foliage, but nowadays it was just a sad reminder of better days that filled her to the brim with nostalgia. Ruby jumped into an evergreen tree that still had plenty of needles and brush to hide her from view even though it was the winter season, meaning that the majority of the trees had lost their leaves, leaving them bare to the ice and snow that came with winter. Even though the garden no longer had blossoms and flowers it was still a sight to behold, not needing multitudes of different colors to look beautiful. The twig-like bushes that were left were covered in thin layers of ice, covered by miniscule amounts of snow. The raven-red head had wished slightly that she had come before sunset so she could watch the golden, late-day light hit the ice covered garden and make it sparkle.

With a shake of her head she tossed those thoughts out of her mind, she didn’t want to think at the moment, besides the only time she got to see the others was when they came out to the garden, same time, same day of the month, to gather and have a good time, no matter the weather. As if on cue a group of people in the midst of conversation exited the castle and entered the garden area. “You’re kidding right? A whole pack of Beowolf masks for that much?” A blonde shook her head. “You really have the craziest dreams Nora.” 

“I know! Isn’t it great!?” Nora skipped around like a careless child, kicking snow as she went.

“Remind me again why you asked her to marry you?” A woman in white, also known as Weiss Schnee, asked with slightly disgruntled face peering in the direction of Lie Ren.  _ So, Ren and Nora are finally getting married. That’s great! About time too, Nora might have gone insane if he hadn’t within the next year. _ Ruby thought, chuckling internally.

“Maybe it’s because she a scoundrel in between the sheets!” Yang whispered loudly, not even attempting to hide the lewd insinuation. Weiss’s pale face became redder than a tomato. 

“That is absolutely vulgar!” The white heiress screeched, swatting the blond woman’s shoulder in a vain attempt to punish. Yang only laughed loudly, holding her stomach slightly while wrapping her free hand around Weiss’s waist, pulling the embarrassed woman closer. 

“But she is partially right.” Ren commented with a small smile on his lips as they made it to a table that was always in the garden for different gatherings. As the others bickered about how the conversation was taking a sexual turn, Ruby watched as Jaune wiped the snow off a chair and bowed, gesturing for Pyrrha to sit there. The redhead smiled lovingly at him, giving his cheek a kiss before taking a seat. The blonde man flushed slightly with a dopey smile on his face as he secured the seat next to her for himself. Ruby smiled at how great a couple they were, love literally rolled off the two in waves making everyone else adore their relationship.  _ I wonder how their little boy Sky is doing? He’s not here so maybe they got a babysitter for him. _ Yes, the two indeed had a son named Sky. He was about four years old now and was just as clumsy as his father, but he had his mother mannerisms. 

“So, Pyrrha, Jaune.” Weiss addressed the two after ending the discussion of Ren and Nora’s sex life. “What is it that you wanted to tell us?” The two lovebirds looked at each other as they held hands and large, prideful smiles nearly split their faces in two. Pyrrha actually had to laugh she was so excited. 

“Well…” Pyrrha started, shrugging her shoulders mildly. “I’ve been a little ill the past few days and I went to consult a healer. Turns out that I’m not sick at all…” The redheaded warrior waited for her friends to connect the pieces, but it all connected instantly for Ruby who felt a smile of her own nearly split her own face in half. 

“I don’t get it.” Yang tilted her head in confusion. Nora gasped with horror, hands coming up to cover her mouth.

“You’re dying! No, Pyrrha don’t die, we need you! How will we ever survive!? We can’t lose the only redhead we have left!” The woman was now clinging to Pyrrha who simply laughed off her friend’s foolish thoughts. 

“She’s not gonna die you dolt!” Weiss shook her head, rubbing at one of her temples. 

“Actually, me and Jaune are having another baby. I’m pregnant.” Nora froze, looking up as realization hit her. The orange haired woman jumped into the air as Yang and the others excitably congratulated their friends.

“That’s great, now Sky will have a little baby brother or sister to play with.” Yang chuckled, patting Pyrrha on her shoulder. “We’re happy for you two. I’m sure in no time you’ll be thinking about names for the new addition to the Arc family.” 

“Ooh, I hope it’s a little girl! We can teach how to kick a man’s ass!” Nora all but bellowed. 

“Nora!” Ren reprimanded, gaining everyone’s attention. “We can teach how to kick  _ everyone’s _ ass.” He said, holding his fist in the air. Nora squealed and squeezed him into a tight hug.

“Such a supportive soon-to-be husband!” Ruby shook her head although with a smile on her face the entire time. At least they were all doing great, perfectly healthy with no harm done to them. She would have thought that since the war was getting worse by the week they would be out fighting.  _ I guess Ozpin is thinking about how to use them to their full potential, or they’re a last ditch defence for the castle if things go south. _

She sighed internally looking up at the clear, cloudless sky. It was like a dark mass that could swallow you into oblivion, where you could be forever lost, but the twinkling stars gave you hope of some light in the nearly black mass. Many times the Huntress had found herself looking at the sky and thinking of her life, what could have been, and what will be. Only with all the things in her past her future was far bleaker than she would’ve liked, but there is a time to fight for more and a time to settle for what you have. Ruby was willing to settle with everything she had and at that moment she realized that for the time being, she had Blake. Ruby ginned at the thought of the faunus, heart fluttering in her chest and making the butterflies in her stomach act up.  _ Think of all that you’ve lost though. You lost your friends, your sister, the only job in the world you truly had a passion for _ ,  _ but most importantly don’t forget what you  _ did _!  _

Hands shot up to her head to pulled her hair tightly, hoping that the mild pain would be enough of a distraction from her thoughts, the ones that always seemed to pull her down when she thought she could bring herself back up. With an unhappy look on her face she just closed her eyes and listened to her friends’ conversation until they decided to go back inside. They talked about all kinds of things spanning from many developments on the war to Pyrrha new life growing inside her. When they finally decided to retire for the night, Ruby was more relaxed than before, but was still agitated by her earlier thoughts. After the castle doors closed she snuck off the castle grounds and started to head back to the outer ring.

 

Blake still sat in her same spot reading from the black book Ruby had encouraged her to read and she had to admit that the story had trapped her attention in a tight snare. She had gotten up to eat, feed Zwei, and even lit a lamp due to the growing darkness outside. By now she had read at least a third of the tome, hardly ever taking her eyes off of the scripted words for the past few hours. This book was absolutely incredible, the Knight-Captain’s entire life story, all her experiences are told from her very own eyes. The faunus now knew why the kingdom of Vale loved her so much, she was kindhearted, generous, giving, caring, compassionate, passionate, and sympathetic. She threw herself in harm’s way, chose to be a Huntress to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves from the evil that lurked in the world. She even demonstrated a great affection to the faunus race, much to Blake’s surprise considering the story she had been told of the terrible deed that everyone believed the Knight-Captain had committed. The very orphanage that she had supposedly slaughtered all those defenceless children was one that she personally funded, making sure they could pay their taxes and bills, sacrificing her own money for their comfort and lifestyle. 

Reading slightly further she gasped.  _ This is the part where all the children are killed! _

 

_ On that day it had been just like any other. Sure tensions with the faunus were high, but Ozpin was finding a way to compromise. I headed out to the orphanage to visit the children who had grown to trust me, love me like their own mother. Walking in it was all okay, they were smiling and laughing like they always would while they played together. Of course as soon as I entered they pounced me, asking me tons of questions like the curious minds they were. “Hey Cap, when ya gonna show us your weapon?” “I bet its so cool it could kill a Grimm for just looking at it!” “How long are you gonna stay?” “Come play with us! I bet I can beat you!”  _

_ Looking back now I wished I could have showed them in bigger ways how much they meant to me and could mean to other people, but now they won’t ever know. I devoted my life to keeping people safe and I wish I could have known what I know now back then, that way they could still be here, and could’ve lived out the rest of their lives like they should’ve. I might as well get onto my side of the story huh? Nobody’ll probably ever read this, but it’s better than keeping it bottled up. _

_ I was sitting down having a nice conversation with the woman who cared for the children. She was nice enough, putting their needs over her own. We had been talking about some of the latest events to happen in the city, like the riots that had happened pertaining to faunus rights. We talked about our personal views on the matter as well. It was an innocent conversation until I felt something stick into my neck. Being in such a comfortable place made me let my guard down, so my Aura was useless. I pulled whatever was in my neck out and tossed it to the ground. My vision started to blur and all the voices around me started to meld together before fading away completely.  _

_ Everything went black, I could barely hear what was going on around me, let alone see. My eyes refused to open and the sounds were so muffled it was hard to tell what I was listening too. One thing I know for sure is that I heard a scream, a bloodcurdling scream cut off by the noise of flesh and bone being ripped, or torn, or cut. I don’t know, my mind was so foggy I was probably lucky to even be that close to conscious. Time passed. How much? I wasn’t sure, but eventually I started to come to and the first thing that became clear to me was the sticky feeling all over my body. Pushing myself to regain my senses, finally I was able to get to my feet albeit unsteadily. My head felt like it was filled with water and cotton. _

_ When I finally opened my eyes to take in the scene, I almost instantly wretched all my food from that day spilling onto the floor that was covered in blood and various other...things. Actually, it wasn’t just the floor, all the walls, windows, and even the ceiling was evenly coated in bodily muck. I was drenched from head to toe in their blood and every time I took a breath I could smell it, and every time I moved I could feel it all on my skin. All over the floor lay their pieces, there was hardly anything left of them, maybe a hand or foot, or head, but everything else had the consistency of slop for the pigs. The only spot that wasn’t caked in their remains was the spot in which I had been laying the entire time they had been slain.  _

_ I started crying hot, angry tears did little to wash my face of the blood, but I couldn’t help but look at my hands that were dripping with their life liquid and saying to myself, “It’s my fault.” Sure I was confused, but I knew it was real and I knew that if I had just kept my guard up I could’ve save their lives. I failed them, I vowed to protect them, but I failed! It was all my fault. All my fault… _

 

Blake’s eyes were wide with both disbelief and horror at what she had read. It also scared her that the rest of the page and the entirety of the next couple pages were covered in various different writings of ‘It’s all my fault.’ One thing she noticed on all of them was that there were spots where the ink had run slightly, like it had been hit by a bit of rain or simply drops of water. Then Blake wondered.  _ Tears? _ Had the Knight-Captain shed  _ tears _ while writing this part of her story. It was certainly possible.  _ If she truely didn’t do it, then who did? _ That was certainly a question she wanted the answer to, because she didn’t believe that the Knight-Captain did it, thought there was doubt, she truly believed that the woman wasn't capable of such a horrible act. She needed to read further. 

 

_ While I was wallowing in my guilt the guards had shown up, men who were under my orders. Even they nearly threw up at the scene and with me being the only one there, looking absolutely unharmed they could only fear the worst, and believe what their eyes were telling them. “Knight-Captain?” I looked at them, begging and pleading with them to believe that I had nothing to do with this, but they had none of it. When I tried to get closer they just treated me even more like a murderer. They looked scared of me, like I was a monster. “Stand down Captain! Come quietly. Please, don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.” At this point I knew they weren’t going to believe me and so, I listened and walked all the way to the castle looking like I took a swim in a pool of blood and guts. I had stopped crying, I didn’t know if it was because I had run out of tears or was too in shock to feel anything really. _

_ Yang and everyone’s reaction when they saw me, when they heard the news and checked the scene out themselves even they seemed doubtful of my innocence. No witnesses to speak on my behalf, no evidence of a fight on me, wounds or Aura related. So, it looked bad. Really bad. Ozpin was emotionless and mysterious as always. He had me thrown in the dungeon with a high-level magic barrier put around it. I was to stay there until he and the city council made a decision on my punishment. _

_ For an entire month I was down there, left with nothing but myself and my guilt, my failure. I was a failure, such a failure. I knew it, believed it. I was a failure. _

_ (Couple of pages with ‘failure’ scribbled all over.)  _

_ Yang told me to just stop denying it, to tell the truth and maybe Ozpin would show mercy, but I was not about to lie and say that I  _ did _ kill them. I knew I was innocent and I thought everyone knew me better than that, but all they look at when I’m around is me, the ‘Knight-Captain’, not who I was before all that, who I really was on the inside. Yang had really pissed me off, I screamed at her saying that she should’ve been on my side. She should’ve! We were family, but apparently that meant nothing to her. After she left, not a day later I was sentenced to death, for multiple murders, and hating of the faunus race.  _

_ When it had all sunk in it felt like something in me had snapped and I realized that I needed to get out of there. I wasn’t going to let this be the end, I was going to live. I knew I was innocent and I swore that in the future if I ever had the chance, found some kind of trail, I was going to avenge those kids, and I was gonna make things right. I didn’t know it them, but I had tapped into something very deep inside of me, a strength that was gonna help me save lives again, it’s too bad I didn’t have that much strength on the inside, because where I am now is just being eaten away. It was when I woke up in that mess that I realized I had lost myself, a part wondering if I really did kill those kids. _

 

Blinking over and over again, the feline faunus decided that it was time to put the book down and take a break. It was all so much to absorb, just by reading it Blake felt like she now carried some of this woman’s burden, but knew her story. With a long, drawn out sigh she couldn’t help but wonder something.  _ Where was Ruby during all that? _ Before the incident that had been practically attached at the hip, never leaving each other’s side.  _ So, where was Ruby when the Knight-Captain was locked away? _ Another question without an answer. 

Closing the book she put it on the desk, taking a small glance as Zwei who was now looking at her from the floor. He must’ve migrated there from the fireplace after lazing there nearly the entire time the faunus was reading. She nervously smiled at him, or at least attempted to only for it to be more like a lopsided smirk. “H-Hi…” Zwei wagged his tail, giving a happy bark the made Blake’s muscles twitch somewhat. “Ruby, sure has been gone a while, huh…” She couldn’t believe she was actually talking to him or that he was responding as if he knew what she was saying. Her amber eyes looked at the dog anxiously. “Guess it’s just me and you until she gets back.”

 

Ruby walked into the tavern that Coco owned, it was a second job really, but Huntress duties came first. Upon entering the place where men come to drown their sorrows the smell of alcohol hit her nose harder than a brick wall nearly making her drunk by just breathing. Securing her hood so that nobody could see her face the black clad woman trudged over to the bar with her back to the fire that kept the place lit. Taking a seat Ruby waited for Coco or Velvet to arrive with her usual drink. Rum. Though she wasn’t a real big drinker and the others knew it, they knew that when she sat at the bar, hiding and shielding herself from the world then she really needed a drink. 

Every visit she made to the castle seemed to drain her of her energy as well as whatever happiness that was floating around inside her. Maybe Ruby just missed them, all the good times they would have together, playing around, making jokes, and sparring. She missed all that. Being up in the mountain was always so lonely, rarely would she get visits which were usually only from Velvet or Yatsuhashi. They knew her secret, they accepted her and trusted her so they are the only ones she really could have as company. Then there was Blake.

Blake was something else, she was fresh and new. She is someone else who could understand her from a non-bias point of view, who could get to know her for who she  _ really _ was, on the  _ inside. _ That was something that Ruby truly desired, for someone to see  _ her. _ Of course something like that would take time, but Ruby was a patient woman and she could wait as long as it took. Eventually though Blake would be well enough to leave a have a fresh start. A problem was that Blake couldn’t access her Aura because of a certain  _ bastard. _ Ruby’s teeth clenched thinking about all that had possibly been done to the raven haired woman. Whatever it was, she definitely didn’t deserve it.  _ I’ll have to do something about her Aura soon. _ Her thoughts were interrupted by a tankard being slammed onto the bar in front of her, nearly sloshing some of the contents out of the tin cup. “Good to see you around. It’s been a while.” Said Coco as she cocked an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip. 

“Yeah, been busy with some things lately.” Ruby mumbled, taking the tankard’s handle into her grasp before lifting the rim to her lips. The burn as it went down her throat in large gulps was a welcomed sensation that wasn’t too unfamiliar. 

“‘Some things’? Like what?” The brunette questioned, pulling a seat over so she could sit across from the raven-red head who was making short time of her rum. 

“Personal things.” 

“Oh my Dust! You’ve been fucking!” Coco whisper yelled making Ruby’s face turn the color of her namesake.  _ Alcohol plus blushing, yeah my face isn’t warm at  _ all. Silver eyes hardened on the older woman. 

“ _ No _ , I have not. I’m taking care of a friend. Nothing sexual is going on.” The ex-Huntress replied firmly almost to the point of a growl. Coco put her hands up in defence. 

“Calm down, I’m joking. Just trying to cheer you up. Every time I see you like this you’re so down and melancholy. Kinda thought I could help you try to feel better and all because I know this day weighs down on you.” 

“Thanks for trying Coco, but really I think it would be best if I just sort out my thoughts on my own if you don’t mind.” Silver eyes looked up pleadingly to which the brunette nodded, patting Ruby’s hand before walking off to refill drinks around the tavern. The raven-red head sighed, letting her shoulder slump as her eyes gazed into her nearly empty tankard as if it had the solutions to all her problems. 

A while passed and she ended up on her fourth drink, only just beginning to really feel it taking effects. After taking another swig of her rum she sensed the presence of a familiar Aura. It was faint so she knew that the person it belonged to was trying to hide themselves from others or just her. The person walked in, pausing to look around. Ruby supposes that they saw her because their next steps seemed to hold purpose, drawing near to take the seat right next to her. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see long, black hair. “Hello Raven. Always a pleasure.”

“I’m sure it is.” Raven Branwen responded in a rather sarcastic tone. “I guess you visited the castle?” 

“Mm-hm.” Ruby hummed, not bothering to look the older woman’s way.

“I hear your friend Pyrrha is pregnant with her second child. That must be exciting. Missing out on yet another person’s life.” The raven haired woman said that last part with venom. 

“At least it’s not my kid’s life.” Ruby shot back calmly to which the other woman had tensed, clenching up in an attempt to hold back her anger.

“How long until you finally reveal that you still exist?” Raven asked, acting like the ex-Huntress hadn’t just made a jab at her. Ruby chuckled, draining what was left in her tin cup. 

“What’s the point. They think I’m dead, they’ve moved on. So there’s no point in opening old wounds. We’re adults so we should just suck it up and move on.” Ruby felt that inside there was a strange truth to her words as she stood up preparing to leave and head back to the cabin before she drank herself to the point where she couldn’t walk back up. 

“Don’t make Yang live with the guilt the rest of her life Rose. She deserves better.” Raven growled as Ruby finally faced her. 

“She turned on her own family Raven. I’m not just going to forgive her for that and try to make nice with her. You know, when that happened I could actually see how you two were related.” The younger woman turned on heel and stomped her way to the door.

“Don’t walk away from me-” The red eyed woman stood up furiously only to freeze like stone at the words Ruby had said before leaving the tavern door. 

“Abandonment runs in the family.” 

 

Blake looked up when the door to the cabin opened to reveal a crestfallen Ruby who reeked of alcohol. Amber eyes became concerned as the raven-red head entered, slipping off snow covered boots at the door and walking over to her desk before sitting down. She seemed to sag and wasn’t acting like her normal self. Zwei happily went over, jumping into her lap and giving her his best ‘be happy’ look as he wagged his little tail. A faint smile appeared on Ruby’s lips then, but Blake was still concerned. Maybe it was the smell of alcohol that made her uneasy. Many times  _ he _ would show up drunk and subject her to multiple sessions of torture and abuse. “You’re still awake.” Ruby finally said something, nearly making the cat faunus jump out of her skin. 

“Yeah. I tried to go to sleep, but you weren’t here so I couldn’t.” Blake responded, laying on her side so that she could face Ruby as she laid down in wait for sleep. 

“Well, I’m here now. Try and get some rest.” Amber eyes watched the woman remove her satchel and hang it on the back of the chair. Removing her hood and various other garments until she was in nothing but comfortable sleeping wear that consisted of a white cotton long-sleeve and brown breeches. The entire time Ruby never even looked at her, not sparing one glance even in her general direction. Blake did not like that at all, it worried her and made her want Ruby to look at her. 

“A-Are you okay?” The raven haired faunus asked nervously, only slightly afraid of Ruby snapping at her. The seated woman sighed, placing both elbows on her desk before putting her face in her hands with a sigh. 

“Nope.” Blake was mildly shocked at her friend’s brutal honesty. 

“Do you, um, want to talk about it?” 

“Nope…” A small sigh escaped Blake, she had wanted Ruby to confide in her after all Blake had told her of the horrible mistreatment delivered by one of her own kind. She did respect the young woman’s privacy so she wasn’t going to push. It was quiet for a few minutes, neither woman moving or speaking.

“I read a lot of the book.” Blake started, hoping it would pull Ruby out of whatever pit she was currently laying in. 

“What did you think?” 

“It’s amazing. Honestly, I want to believe the Knight-Captain didn’t do it. There’s no harm in giving someone the benefit of the doubt until they’re proven to be guilty. When the White Fang told the story, they always made it sound so awful, like she was some sort of monster, but I don’t believe she was a monster.” The faunus explained, watching as Ruby finally looked at her with tired eyes that almost looked wet with tears.

“Then what  _ do  _ you believe?”

“That she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and that it wasn’t her doing. A person like that who shows no sign of animosity unless in battle, wouldn’t just turn on civilians out of nowhere. I don’t see how nobody would believe her.” Ruby scoffed at that. 

“Me neither.”

“Is it the Knight-Captain?” Blake asked to which Ruby looked at her, perplexed.

“What?”

“The one you love. Is it her? In the book it says she’s saved you a couple times and you said you’re in love with someone who saved your life.” Ruby just observed her for a while. 

“No, it’s not her.” Ruby stood from her spot and walked around to the other side of the bed, hopping in. Blake tensed for a moment before relaxing once she felt Ruby’s body heat radiate off of her under the pelts, turning over on her other side to face her. When Ruby was properly relaxed she released a heavy sigh that turned into a yawn halfway through. “I hope you don’t mind me sleeping here.” 

“Of course not, it’s your bed afterall. Besides I’ve been trying to get you to sleep with me the past few weeks.” Blake didn’t know what she said until it had already escaped her mouth. Her face flushed and she covered her mouth looking at the surprised look on Ruby’s face before frantically trying to explain. “Th-That’s not what I m-meant! I just-” Her beginning ramble was interrupted by laughter coming from Ruby’s side of the bed. The faunus looked at her with surprise. The laughter was low and contained and almost sounded kind husky, or maybe her hearing was betraying her. 

“Calm down, Blake. I know what you meant. Now, it’s really late so we should get some sleep. Good night.”

“Good night, Ruby.” Blake turned over momentarily to turn off the lamp she had been using to add light, now all that was left as a light source was the fire which casted a comforting glow throughout the room. When she turned back over the sound of quiet snoring reached her ears and she smirked.  _ Ruby must’ve had a rough day, but at least she gets to rest now. _ Getting comfortable Blake finally could fall asleep with the mere knowledge that Ruby was around to keep her safe.     


	6. Chapter 6

_ She lay on a cobblestone floor, sobbing quietly as she attempted to forget the pain she felt throughout her entire being. All along her bare skin were large bruises, welts, as well as a few cuts. Blood was pouring from her nose still from the hit she had received for misbehaving, but she was hopeful that it hadn’t been broken even though it hurt terribly without the pain canceling protection of her Aura. Blake felt so weak, so helpless, so  _ hopeless _. All the faunus could do anymore was listen to her orders and endure her torture.  _

_ The cell door opened allowing the tall man with spikey red hair to enter the prison she had come to know as her hell. Her body instantly stiffened, weak and malnourished muscles sizing up in unbridled fear. He had earlier given her a smack down when she had resisted him, and now he was back to get what he wanted. She listened as his footsteps came closer to her before stopping, feeling his eyes roam over her naked form. It made her feel sick every time he did that, made her feel dirty, worthless, even below him. “Blake. Quit your crying or I’ll give you something to  _ really _ cry about.” He growled while delivering a kick to her back. The raven haired woman quickly shut herself up, not wanting to be the victim of his wrath. “Get up.” When she hesitated, he angrily yanked her up by her hands that were bound behind her back. The rope dug painfully into the skin of Blake’s wrists. “I said get the fuck up!”  _

_ “I-I’m sorry Adam.” she apologised as she was pulled over to a table that always sat unused next to the wall. Well, not that it was unused, but used for a purpose that wasn’t intended.  _

_ “Shut up and bend over.” Adam ordered while unbuckling the belt to his trousers. Her amber eyes glance down and saw that in fact he was already prepared for his fun. Unhappily she bent over, face down on the table, obediently spreading her legs before he even needed to asked. Silently, the redhead began to touch her, running his hands over her buttocks, before petting her womanhood. It was at times like these that she cursed her body for responding to such physical contact because on the inside the woman was feeling the complete opposite. A whimper escaped her throat as her feline ears laid flat on her head, so much so that they nearly disappeared into her matted raven hair.  _

_ When he felt like she was ready enough, he lined up his manhood with her entrance before penetrating to the hilt. Blake’s fists tightened, pulling at their binds making her skin burn from the friction with the rope. She cringed, feeling sick to her stomach at being continuously violated by this man, an man that she had trusted once, even liked at some point. Now, he was nothing but a nightmare that used her to pleasure himself. Adam began thrusting setting a very fast pace so soon. With every slap of their hips together Blake felt the tears come closer and closer to escaping her eyes, but what made them fall was how pleasured her body was feeling. So, she silently let the salt water droplets roll down her dirt caked cheeks. Lungs shook with every sobbed breath that was released silently, so quiet that the man couldn’t hear it.  _

_ She just kept her eyes closed and waited for it to end, trying to ignore the constant rocking of her body and the sighs of pleasure and dirty comments that fell from Adam’s lips as he violated her.  _ Just make it stop...please someone make it stop!  _ The cat faunus’ mind screamed out her prayer.  _

Slowly, amber eyes opened and adjusted to the dim light of the room. The crackling of the fire was a calming sound, but the most calming thing about waking up from that dream would be the sight of a sleeping Ruby right next to her in bed. The smell of roses wafting off of her like some sort of natural perfume and it always seemed to have a calming effect on the faunus whenever she was in any way anxious. Looking around Blake noted that it was still very dark out so it must’ve been very late at night or very early. 

Though she didn’t really like how much space was between the both of them, she still felt a little on edge so there was definitely a desire for some contact. Blake didn’t want to wake the slumbering woman though because for the past two months since the night she started sleeping in her bed with Blake, she had been building an expansion on her cabin for...well, Blake wasn’t sure. She looked at the raven-red head’s hand that lay limply on her pillow. Gently, the faunus took the calloused hand into her own and gripped it, enjoying the warmth that now traveled to her own skin. 

A sigh escaped the boundary of her lips as she closed her amber eyes peacefully, waiting for sleep to take her once more, but before that could happen an arm wrapped around her waist. The arm pulled her closer until her face was cuddling Ruby’s chest, feeling the hand that Blake had been holding also wrap securely around her form. It shocked the raven haired faunus at first, but she had known that it was Ruby. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Blake whispered, enjoying their closeness with ears laying flat from comfort.. 

“It’s okay.” The raven-red head sighed into Blake’s hair. “Bad dream?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Well, at least they’re becoming less frequent.” A groan. “We should get some more sleep.” The ex-Huntress yawned loudly, making the faunus smile. “I need all the energy I can get with building that expansion.” Blake just let out a hum of agreement, listening to the woman’s breathing and strong, almost loud heartbeat that easily lulled her back into a more peaceful slumber.

 

When Blake woke up later that day Ruby was already up working on the cabin some more. She made herself some breakfast and was very pleased to see that Ruby had fetched her some tuna from the market in the city. As Blake made her breakfast, she wondered something. Of course the raven haired woman noticed that Ruby would make one, especially long trip to Vale once a month, one that Ruby would return from in a slightly drunken state. It was always the same day every month and Blake couldn’t help but question where and why Ruby would make this trip. 

With a sigh the faunus ate her meal, not bothering to wonder about the things she didn’t know about Ruby because the raven-red head would tell her if she wanted the faunus to know. She respected a person’s rights to their own secrets which was funny coming from her, thinking about how it was Ruby’s respect for her privacy that led the raven haired woman to confess her troubles. Blake trusted her and that’s all that mattered. 

Getting up from her spot she cleaned up her mess and dressed to go outside. Since her condition had been improving tremendously since her arrival at Ruby’s cabin she made more trips outside, doing any tasks that Ruby would let her. Even though Blake was much better now, the ex-Huntress didn’t want her doing anything too strenuous or anything that required a lot of energy. Sometimes the raven-red head would let her lift some heavy things, but that was very rare. 

When she exited the cozy cabin she noticed just how much the season was really starting to change. The climate was transitioning from winter to spring so the snow was melting to make room for newly budding plants, but the air still held a nasty chill with it which led Blake to shiver mildly. To her right she could hear some nailing going on, looking in that direction Blake smiled. Ruby had done so well with the extra space she was making. The log walls were already up and molded together, the supports were already on the inside, the frame for the roof was already finished too. At the moment Ruby was working on the roof, nailing and properly molding planks together to make it as leak proof as possible. “I didn’t know you got up.” Blake called to the woman who nearly jumped out of her skin upon hearing the older woman’s voice. 

“Ah! Blake, you scared me.” Ruby said while holding her hand over her chest making Blake chuckle. 

“Sorry.” She winced slightly, but smiled to which silver eyes rolled.

“I got up at dawn, figured I’d get a headstart on this. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish the roof by the end of the week.” The silver eyed woman went back to hammering some nails in the plank of lumber.

“You could finish it sooner if you let me help.” Ruby shot the faunus a comically annoyed look that only made Blake flash a coy smile with her arms crossed over her chest. “Fine, but if you get tired at all, you stop and rest.” The woman commanded firmly, pointing a finger at the smiling faunus. 

“Ruby, I’m getting better every day. I think I can handle some simple construction work.”

“I know…” The raven-red head sighed scratching back of her neck as she stood, walking over to the edge of the roof. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.” When silver eyes looked down sadly, Blake swore she could feel her heart melt. “If you really want to help, fine.” 

“Can you, help me up?” Ruby nodded, reaching down so Blake could jump and grab hold of her hand. The younger woman easily lifted the raven haired faunus up and onto the roof. The two were so close that Blake could feel the other woman’s body heat radiate off of her and the strong smell of roses filled her senses.

“Alright, you know how to do any of this?” 

“Not at all.” Blake shook her head. Ruby chuckled beckoning her faunus friend to where she had been previously. 

“All you do is put mold between two planks, push them together as tightly as you can, then nail them in. Simple as that. Think you’re okay with lifting the planks?” Amber eyes rolled. 

“Yes, Ruby. I can do that.” 

“Okay. I need to get get some more lumber. I’ll be right back though. Be careful.” Ruby cast a worried glance to Blake who just laughed. 

“I’ll be  _ fine _ . Now, get going.” With a nod the ex-Huntress was off, jogging into the woods to get more lumber. 

“Keep an eye on Zwei for me!”  _ She didn’t take a saw with her. So, what is she cutting it with? _ Blake wondered as she got to work. 

It was the least she could do after everything the raven-red head had done for her. Taking her in, sacrificing her time to take care of her, being selfless and catering to her every need. Ruby was something else and it made Blake wish that all humans were like her, selfless and kind, and non-discriminatory. It was also what made Ruby unique though, it made her special and Blake could only pay that one day she would find some way to repay her for all she had done.  

As she nailed the many planks in she began to wonder many different things. Her questions about the Knight-Captain had yet to be answered and she had been unable to read any of the black book since she was more capable of moving around not to mention all the good books Ruby had gotten her. One thing that was on her mind was why didn’t Ruby get visited by any family? Did something happen between them because of the situation with the Knight-Captain?  _ I wonder if she would tell me if I asked. _ She shook her head thinking that most likely Ruby wouldn’t tell her something that personal.

She had gotten nearly a third of the roof finished by now, but Ruby still wasn’t back from gathering more wood. Usually if Ruby left Blake outside she would be back in the matter of a minute, but she had been gone for several now. The faunus finished hitting a nail in when something caught her attention. The distinct sound of barking reached her ears and her amber eyes looked up to what was behind the cabin. Past the barn she could see Zwei running around chasing something that was blending in with the little snow that was still on the ground. It was a snow hare and the corgi was running after it. 

Blake smiled, sure she wasn’t the biggest fan of dogs, but Zwei didn’t bother her anymore. Now they just spent quiet moments together while Blake was reading. Ruby had once suggested that she talk to him or read to him since he was a good listener. At first she thought it was silly to be talking to an animal that couldn’t communicate back, but she tried it and he really seemed to enjoy it. He would end up at the foot of the bed, laying down while watching her as she read through a novel. Sometimes Blake even talked to him about her times in captivity. Sure he couldn’t talk back, but it was good for her to talk about it which she would also do when Ruby was around. 

Zwei ran after the hare for a while before the white furred animal ran over the pond, to which Zwei happily followed. Every muscle in Blake’s body went rigid thinking that the ice was thin now that spring was setting, but the water underneath was most surely ice cold. Before she could even stand her fear was solidified as the little dog broke through the ice and vanished under the water. Jumping to her feet and launching herself off the roof, Blake sprinted as fast a she could to the edge of the pond. “Zwei!?” She called, seeing the canine struggling to get out of the freezing water only for the ice to continue breaking under his paws when he attempted to lift himself out. “Hold on Zwei! I’m coming!” Zwei responded with a yip followed by a string of whines. 

Steadily, but as quickly as she could Blake started walking her way over to the hole, making sure to test the ice under her footing. As she made her way there she was speaking calmly to the corgi who continued to struggling in the frigid water. “It’s okay, I’m coming. I’m almost there.” She was now within reaching distance of the distressed Zwei, whose whines were becoming louder and louder. Her faunus hearing could detect the sound of cracking ice under her weight. Just a few more steps and she’d be able to reach him. Taking a couple more timid steps, Blake smiled as she reached for Zwei slowly, thinking that the ice would hold her.

Suddenly, the sheet of ice underneath her buckled from her weight with a loud crack. Blake let out a cry before falling into the water. Her suspicions were proved correct, the water was so cold that she could feel it in her bones. The faunus thrashed around until she reached the surface long enough to grab hold of Zwei. With all her ability Blake tossed the animal up onto the surface that thankfully decided to stay intact. It was times like these that Blake really wished she had learned to swim because she was all but flailing in the deathly cold pond. Her whole body was shaking in a poor attempt to keep her temperature up and her lungs were begging for air as she continued to sink below the water. Zwei was having a fit, barking and whining at the edge of the ice hole, but Blake couldn’t stay above surface any longer. Limbs jerked, desperately trying to operate, to get her to oxygen, but she just kept sinking feeling colder and colder. The shivering had stopped now almost the same temperature as the water around it. Everything went black for the faunus and she felt was cold. 

 

Ruby was using her semblance to quickly make it back to the cabin having gotten this sinking feeling that something was  _ wrong. _ The wilderness around her flew by in a flash as she ran at top speed. When she reached her home the sound of panicked barking captured her attention. Panting heavily the woman flashed over to the edge of the pond seeing Zwei in the middle looking down into the water where the ice had broken.  _ Oh dust, Blake! _ In a flurry of rose petals Ruby grabbed her companion and put him on safer ground. “Stay Zwei!” The worried woman ordered loudly before diving headfirst into the frozen pond. 

Opening her silver eyes under the water she could see Blake sinking deeper into the depths, nearly touching the bottom. Fanatically, Ruby swam her way over to the unconscious faunus quickly wrapping her arms around her friend and swimming her way back to the edge where a worried Zwei was pacing around. Ruby gasped when she surfaced, pulling Blake up onto the shore before getting out herself. On all fours Ruby looked the faunus over. Her lips were blue and her chest wasn’t moving. She wasn’t  _ breathing _ . “Blake!?” The raven-red head tried calling out, but got no response. “Fuck…” 

Instantly, Ruby put her mouth to Blake’s blowing her own air into the faunus’ lungs. Taking her hands she pushed down hard on Blake’s chest multiple times. “C’mon Blake, c’mon…” Ruby whispered before breathing into Blake another time, repeating her chest compressions. “Don’t you fucking die on me Blake, don’t you fucking dare!” No response yet again. Zwei let out a whimper as his ear flattened on his head while he watched his master repeat her motions another time. Tears were stinging the young woman’s eyes as she pushed down on Blake’s chest. “ _ Dustdammit _ Blake!” Her yells were desperate now. “I can’t lose you, I’m  _ not _ gonna fucking lose you!” A few more compressions. “You’re all I’ve got! Please, Blake!” Ruby bent yet again to give the unconscious faunus her air and with one breath Blake coughed up pond water into Ruby’s mouth. The faunus sputtered as her lungs continued to dispel the liquid from their space. “Oh thank goodness. We’ve gotta get the two of you inside right now.” 

Ruby swooped the dazed woman up into her arms as well as Zwei and flashed her way to the cabin door, barging in without a second thought. She hurriedly set them both near the fire, throwing in more logs before using her semblance to speed around, gathering many blankets and pelts, as well as something to dry them off with. Laying everything near the fire she began throwing all her clothes off leaving only her chest bindings and underclothes on before doing the same to a quaking Blake who had scrunched up on the floor as Ruby had retrieved her necessary items. The ex-Huntress read once in a book that another person’s body heat can help with sort of situation and she was willing to do _ anything _ that could help.  _ If only she still had her Aura then we wouldn’t have this problem. _

After stripping the raven haired faunus Ruby sat on the floor, pulling Blake into lap and then covering them up with multiple pelts. Rapidly, she began rubbing her hands over the woman’s body, creating friction. “There we go Blake, nice and cozy. You’re gonna be okay.” 

“R-Ruby, I’m fr-freezing.” Blake said through her shivers. The raven-red head pulled the woman closer, wrapping herself completely around the faunus’ figure, legs and all. As Blake warmed up, Ruby pulled her companion over who had been warming up closer to the fire and began to dry him off. 

“I know, you’ll warm up soon. I’ll make you some tea if you’d like.” Ruby could feel quite a bit of Blake’s skin and was enjoying how soft it was despite the many scars she knew was there. Her cheeks warmed up slightly at the situation, but she composed herself while still rubbing her free hand over her skin. 

The two stayed like that for a while, completely silent. While Blake was cuddled up against Ruby’s chest she nuzzled her nose into the warmth of her neck taking deep breaths to enjoy the calming aroma of roses. It didn’t really bother Blake that she was nearly naked and that she could feel a lot more of Ruby than she ever expected to, because it felt natural, it felt nice. Not to mention she spent a whole year completely naked in a cell. “Are you okay, Zwei?” The raven haired woman asked the canine who happily yipped at her, wagging his stub.

“He’s tougher than he looks.” Ruby commented as she scratch the animal’s ears. Blake’s own cat ears were flicking around still trying to rid themselves of any water. 

“That’s for sure.” Blake chuckled. A moment of silence passed and she had a feeling that Ruby was going to say something she wouldn’t particularly like. 

“Blake, we really need to talk about unsealing your Aura.” The faunus put space between her and the younger woman instantly. Nobody was going to go anywhere near her Aura, not with how much it hurt that asshole sealed it away. 

“N-No.” Anxiety and fear were growing inside her. Ruby gave her a concerned look.

“I know you’re scared, but it  _ needs _ to be done. Look at what almost happened. You could’ve died and what if I hadn’t come back in time?” Ruby tried to bring Blake back into her embrace but the faunus jerked away.

“I said no! I don’t wanna feel like that ever again!” Blake shocked herself with how loud her protests were. Deep down she felt guilty for yelling at the woman, but she passionately didn’t want to experience any pain like that ever again. Tears left her eyes at the mere though and before she knew it she was crying hysterically, wiping the tears from her cheeks as sobs aggressively wracked her body. “It hurt so bad…”

“Oh, Blake…” Ruby said sympathetically reaching out and pulling the sobbing woman to her chest. “I know it did, but I wouldn’t do this if it was going to hurt you.” She cooed into the faunus’ hair as she rubbed her back. “I’d never want to cause you pain intentionally.” With a sigh she pulled Blake’s head away from her neck and gently held the woman’s cheeks, silver looking softly into wet amber. “You just have to trust me, Blake. This won’t hurt one bit, I swear it to you. I just want you to be safe.”

“I’m scared Ruby.” Blake whimpered as she looked into those kind silver pools.

“Don’t be. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you Blake. Swear.” Ruby whispered to her in such a heartwarming tone that Blake wanted to trust, wanted to take the chance and believe in the woman her saved her life. She exhaled a shaky breath. 

“Okay.” 

“Alright.” A grin formed on Ruby’s lips, pressing her forehead against the ex-White Fang member’s. “Close your eyes and take deep breaths. Just relax.” Blake did as she was told and closed her eyes already missing being able to look into the silver pools of mercury as she slowed her breathing. Ruby closed her eyes as well as on of her hands travelled down to be placed over the faunus’ heart which she could feel beating against her palm. 

Blake felt something, something warm enter her being. It travelled through every inch of her body caressing the entirety of her own soul. Her heart liquified feeling this much warmth and gentleness in such an untouched area. It took a moment for Blake to realize that the warmth she was feeling was infact Ruby’s own Aura, own soul roaming around in search for what Blake had lost long ago. That’s when she felt the heat make contact with something that she was no longer connected to. Ruby’s Aura wrapped itself around that area, centering itself there. With a pulse of energy from the raven-red head’s soul, Blake felt her own Aura course through her veins, a sensation she had most definitely missed. Blake felt like she was more complete now, like she was able to breathe a little better. 

Ruby slumped slightly, worrying Blake who quickly caught her. “Ruby?” Came the faunus’ concerned call as the younger woman shook her head slightly. 

“That was exhausting. Merging souls to unlock one always does take a lot out of people. Pyrrha nearly fainted when she did that for Jaune. How do you feel?” The ex-Huntress looked up at Blake who flashed her an amazed grin, almost one of disbelief. 

“I feel, free. Like when I escaped captivity. I feel lighter now.” She wrapped her arms around Ruby’s neck giving her a tight hug. “Thank you so much.”

“Ah, it’s not problem.” Ruby hugged the woman back. They stayed in that embrace for a while before Blake ended it looking at her friend hesitantly. The crimsoness quirked a brow. “What is it?” 

“I want to ask you something about your family.” She nervously played with her hands, feeling her ears lay flat on her head. 

“Ask away.” Ruby’s face became stoic, something that usually made Blake uncomfortable.

“Why is it that they,” She hesitated a moment, “Why don’t they or any of your other friends don’t visit you?” A sigh past the younger woman’s lips as she cast her gaze to the fire, pulling Blake closer to her body as to comfort herself more than the faunus. 

“Honestly? It’s because they think I’m dead.”

“What? Why?”

“They believe that I died the same night that the Knight-Captain did, but I was the only one who survived.”

“And you never told them that you were alive? Don’t they deserve to know?” Blake couldn’t quite wrap her head around this. 

“No, they don’t. I was so tired of fighting with them, trying to tell them she was innocent, but they refused to believe me. I went with her when she escaped, I wanted to help her run away, but we were ambushed near the Forever Fall Cliff which is properly named by the way. We fell, and when we landed only one of us lived. She lost her life that night and the guard thought that I had as well. I never went back and told them because after the way they treated her for something she didn’t do, they didn’t deserve the kindness of knowing I was still alive. I just wished that the most important people to her had believed. Isn’t that just, wrong?” Blake could hear Ruby’s voice become thick as if she were on the verge of crying. “The people she loved the most just turned their backs on her, how could I forgive them after that?” Then it happened, Ruby let out a sob to which Blake backed away to make sure she wasn’t imagining it and sure enough there were tears going down her cheeks.

“Ruby…”

“I don’t want them to know I’m alive because they don’t deserve it!” The younger woman cried openly now and all the faunus could do was hold her, much like Ruby had done for her many times before. 

“Shh please, don’t cry. I’m sorry I brought it up.” Ruby shook her head against the raven haired woman’s chest. 

“Don’t apologize. You’re my friend, I’m suppose to be able to talk to you about these things. How about after I’m done crying, I make us some tea and we just stay inside for the rest of the day. Maybe even put some clothes on.” Ruby laughed wetly and Blake chuckled. 

“That actually doesn’t sound too bad.”      

 

Yang sat quietly on a large, lush bed in the room she was very familiar with. She didn’t know why she still tortured herself like this, why she still came, or even why Ozpin had kept the room the exact same when nobody was around to use it. It was Ruby’s old room, the one she had spent many nights in writing or sleeping or working on herbal and dust remedies. This was one of the only places her memory still existed and Yang just wanted to feel like, even just for a second, that her beloved baby sister wasn’t gone forever. 

She would just look up at the painting of Ruby on the wall, the only visual memory of her left besides a few sketches their friends had made. She was seventeen in the painting, not even an adult yet. Lilac eyes saddened, looking down at the necklace that she held in her hand. It was a birthday present from Ruby. A flaming heart shaped crystal colored in yellow with a sparkling silver chain. She had given it to her big sister before...before everything. Yang always wore it, never took it off even when she was sleeping feeling like keeping it on was a way to keep her sister’s memory from completely fading. 

The door to the room opened, but the blond didn’t need to look see who it was. The person who entered quietly walked over and sat next to the melancholic Yang, gently taking one of her hands. “You’re up pretty late this time aren’t you.” Weiss said tiredly as she sadly looked at her lover. 

“I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that…” The blonde trailed off, looking down at the necklace some more. 

“You miss her. We all do.”

“I wish things could’ve turned out differently, you know? It’s just hard knowing that I’ll never get the chance to apologise to her, or even get to see her again. I should’ve been a better sister.” She felt ashamed as she clenched the crystal heart in her hand. 

“You were a great sister, Yang. You just made a mistake, just like the rest of us.” Weiss put her hand under Yang’s chin and made her look up. “No matter what happened in the past, she still loves you Yang.”

“Do you think that if she had lived and I had apologized to her, she would have forgiven me?” Yang asked uncertainly. 

“I have no doubt that she would’ve, but all we can do now is move on and remember her in the best way we can. Remember all the great times we had together. We shared so many great memories with her and that’s all that we can ask for now.” Weiss smiled at her to which Yang gave the white haired woman her best grin. 

“Thanks, love.” She pecked the shorter woman’s lips.

“Anytime. I’m going back to better and you better come back soon.” Weiss stood and gave the stern warning to her lover. 

“I will. I promise.” The blonde chuckled as she watched the other woman leave the room.When Weiss was gone Yang’s lilac eyes locked onto the painting. “We really miss you around here, Rubes. It’s just not the same anymore, you know. No more going on jobs together, no more sparring together, no more dinner-time shenanigans, and no more walks through the garden. Life is just really dull without you, sis. Sky’ll never get the chance to meet someone as awesome as you and you’ll never get to meet Pyrrha’s new baby when it’s born. You won’t be able to hold it and it won’t have the pleasure of having you as an Aunt.” Yang started to sob. “You’ll never get to see humans and faunus coexist in harmony with one another. With you gone we all have a hole in our hearts that’s impossible to fill without you here, Ruby. Dust, I miss you so much and I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you, my own little sister.” Yang cried for a while letting all her tears out until there were no more and her breaths no longer came out shaky. “I really gotta go now or Weiss will make me sleep on the floor again. I love you, sis.” 

Standing up the older sibling gave the painting a loose salute before heading towards the door. She hoped she could go another couple days without coming here to just remind her of her guilt, but Yang was unpredictable. As she left the room she thought,  _ Can’t believe Sun wants us all to take a stupid job up in Mountain Glenn. It doesn't even pay that much. _ With a long sigh, Yang made her way to her shared room with her precious Weiss to hopefully sleep away some of the disrupted feelings she had caused by visiting her sister’s old room.   

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm finishing this at 4 in the morning. I'm tired, but I just had to finish chapter for you guys. I hope you liked it. Also it makes me so happy to see people asking questions and coming up with their own theories! Don't forget to comment any of your thoughts, I love reading them also give this story a Kudos! See ya next chapter!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait but I've been working so much lately and haven't had the time to write that much. This is a rather small chapter but I hope you guys like it. Also I'd like to mention that majority of the weapons in this are non-projectile meaning they aren't guns but they have the ability to use small pieces of their Aura as bullet-like substitutes.

Easily, her body moved, dodged, and parried the Grimm’s attacks. The large Ursa didn’t like that it was missing all of its attacks, roaring in frustration. Swinging its large paw Blake used her semblance to leave a shadow clone in the spot she had been so that it took the blow while she backed off, thinking of different ways to attack the beast. Her amber eyes spotted an opening near the large demon’s chest and launched her curved blade quickly and smiled with satisfaction when it embedded itself deeply into the Grimm’s chest. The blow effectively ended the Ursa’s life and it fell lifelessly to the grass covered ground.   

Pulling her blade back using a length of black ribbon, Blake smiled pridefully. She was getting better and better each day with using her Aura since Ruby had unsealed it.  _ Don’t worry, it’s like riding a horse. It comes naturally _ , is what she had said to her. Needless to say the ex-Huntress was correct, fighting and utilizing her aura was just as natural as breathing. Today the faunus had slaughtered so many Grimm she couldn’t count them on both her hand.  _ I can’t wait to tell Ruby. _ Her weapon disappears into thin air, returning to her soul until needed once more. 

Blake started the walk back to the cabin, which by now would take about an hour to return to. Since she had gotten her Aura back Blake had been going out to re-hone her skills that she had had before captivity. Ruby wasn’t really find of the idea that she would venture off  _ looking _ for trouble, but Blake made Ruby promise that she wouldn’t get too overprotective now that the faunus was more than capable of protecting herself. She smiled thinking of how the strong woman would pout every time Blake said she was going out. 

At one point Ruby wondered if the faunus wanted to go into town and meet Yatsuhashi’s friends, but she politely declined, not quite sure if she was prepared to be around more people, more strangers. Ruby didn’t push the issue much to Blake’s satisfaction, but the faunus knew that she couldn’t hide from the world for the rest of her life. She needed to move on and start her life back up again, work her way to a future she could be happy with. 

While the raven haired woman’s thoughts were on her future, she failed to notice the presence sneaking up next to her. Blake only noticed when there was a rapier being pointed at her neck, she silently cursed and scolded herself for being so lax, but it was rare that any people came up to the mountain. “Stop right there.” Warned the owner of the sharp weapon. Amber eyes looked over to see a woman clad in nothing but white armour and even her hair was white. There was a scar down her left eye. Slowly, Blake rose her hands up in surrender. “Who are you and what are you doing up here?” 

“I’m just someone who likes to take walks around the mountain. I live up here.” Blake answered. Blue eyes flicked up to the ears atop the faunus’ head. 

“You’re White Fang.” The woman growled, pushing the tip of her rapier closer to the raven haired woman’s throat. 

“No, no. I’m not associated with them. I’m just a faunus, not a White Fang member.” Blake shook her head at the woman.  _ Not anymore. _

“Weiss! There you are, you just walked off and-oh.” A blond appeared from the woods, stopping in her tracks upon seeing the situation  _ Weiss?...It couldn’t be. _ “Who’s this?” 

“She says she lives up here.” Weiss growled. 

“Really? What’s your name?” 

“Blake.” The faunus answered. 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yang.” The woman smiled and Blake’s eyes widened.  _ Yang? Ruby’s sister Yang? So, this must be Weiss Schnee. _ “Weiss, what’s with this?” Yang pointed at the woman’s rapier which was still dangerously close to the faunus’ neck. 

“She could be a member of the Fang.” 

“Are you?” A blonde brow quirked. Blake shook her head ‘no’. “Then she’s fine, chill out Ice Queen. Not every faunus is a member of the White Fang.” Weiss begrudgingly put her weapon down, sheathing it. 

“I know. I just want to make sure. My apologies, you can’t be too careful nowadays.” The white haired woman bowed slightly, seeming to be sincere in her apology. 

“Don’t worry, I understand. My race hasn’t really been painting itself a good picture with the war.” It was true, she didn’t like the way her race was doing things. Peace and equality was what she wanted, not bloodshed. 

“I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end. Wars end eventually, but enough about all that. So, since you live by yourself out here how do you fight off the Grimm?” Yang questioned curiously. 

“I have control over my Aura.” 

“Really, how good are you?”  _ Why does she want to know this? _

“Very.” Blake wasn’t tooting her own horn, she was very talented in battle. The blond seemed to think something over for a while before speaking again. 

“Listen, The Order could really use some more members. We’ve been pretty short on people so if you ever need a job or anything, it’s an open invitation.” Blake blinked with confusion for a moment. 

“You’re offering me to become part of The Order of Beacon?” She looked at the woman incredulously. 

“Did I mumble again, Weiss?” The blond asked her wife sarcastically. Blake couldn’t even think straight. She couldn’t do something like this, it wasn’t something she wanted. She didn’t want to fight her own kind, or be in any way a part of the war. There were perks though. Blake could have a reason to use her powers and protect people. She would be getting paid, could get her own place in the city and it could be a step in the right direction. 

“No, I’m just shocked is all.” Blake said, messing with her hands. “I’m flattered by the offer, but…” The two women looked at her in wait of what she was about to say, but she was suddenly embraced and twirled around the air. She tensed considerably, her heart picking up with fear. The only person to ever touch her since she escaped was Ruby.

“Oh my Dust, Blake! It’s really you!” Cried a male voice filled with unbridled amounts of enthusiasm. When she was finally put down Blake was able to look at the person who had picked her up. His hair was blond and his shirt was opened to show off his abdominal muscles. The faunus’s mind was whirling trying to think of how she knew this person, but something swishing around him caught her eye. It was a monkey tail that swayed behind his form, lighting Blake up with recognition. 

“Sun?” She asked incredulously with a large smile on her face. 

“It’s been forever.” He responded with a chuckle. Yang and Weiss watched the exchange with confusion. 

“Do you two know each other?” Weiss questioned as her lover scratched her blond mane. 

“Of course we do, we’re childhood friends!” Sun exclaimed happily. “The two of us haven’t seen each other in nearly ten years now. I left to become a Huntsman and Blake left to pursue her dreams of faunus-human equality. Dust, you look great! How have you been?” The excitable monkey faunus asked.

“Well, I’ve just been living by myself for the last couple months. What about you?”  _ I can’t let them know about Ruby. She would get so angry with me if I did. _

“I’ve been working for Lord Ozpin as a Huntsman. I moved here a few years ago from Mistral. You should come by the castle sometime so we can catch up properly and you could meet all my friends. You’ve already met Yang and Weiss so they don’t seem like bad people. Well, maybe not Weiss.” 

“Hey!” The Schnee cried with disapproval. 

“I’m just kidding Ice Queen.” Sun waved her off as Yang put her arm around the woman’s shoulders. 

“Actually Sun, I offered her a position in The Order. She said she was capable of using her Aura so I figured, Blake here could help us out. Now, that we know you two are friends she’s even more welcome.” The blond explained making Sun smile and bounce on his feet excitedly. 

“That would be so great! Blake, you gotta join! We could hang out like we used to, kick Grimm butt, and everyone there is like one big family, like we always wanted!” Blake smiled at him although it was a pained one. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to be out on her own. It wasn’t like Ruby could come with her and be her comfort blanket like she had been since they met. 

“I-I don’t know, Sun. There are a few,” The cat faunus paused a moment, trying to think of the right way to say this, “ _ personal _ things I need to work out before I can consider leaving the mountain and working.” Blake wince upon seeing some of the wind leave Sun’s sails.

“No pressure Blake. Take your time, the job offer still stands and besides it’s not like you can’t come and visit here and there.” His shoulders shrugged, making Blake release a small relieved breath. “Take as much time as you need to make up your mind. Oh, where do you live if you live up here? I don’t remember seeing any houses, or knowing of any houses in the mountain.” Blake tensed, how was she suppose to answer this. 

“U-Uh, you see, I have this small little cabin that’s pretty far from here. It’s where I’ve been staying for a while now.” Blue eyes were gazing at her with suspicion.

“Can we see it?” Weiss asked in a tone that implied that she didn’t believe the raven haired woman.

“It’s a mess so I don’t know how suitable it is for company, but if you insist then I’ll gladly show it to you.” Blake started to sweat and felt her heart beat began to race uncontrollably, hoping they would just leave so she wouldn’t have to put Ruby at any risk. 

“Nah, we’re done with our job and Ozpin didn’t want us to dottle. So, we need to be heading back. Maybe some other time though.” Yang answered getting a glare from the Schnee heiress. 

“Aw, but I wanna see it!” Sun whined putting on a pout before slumping his shoulders. 

“Don’t worry, Sun. The opportunity will show itself again.” The cat faunus put a comforting hand on the blond man’s shoulder and he instantly brightened. 

“I’m holding you to it, Blake. If you ever change your mind about the job offer, come to the castle and ask for me or Yang.” He gave her a hug that she uncomfortably returned with her muscles tense. 

“Sure thing. It was, great seeing you again.” 

“Yeah, it was. Even if you don’t take the job you’ll come visit right?” Sun requested hopefuly. 

“I’ll try my best.” Blake nodded smiling when seeing his face brighten up. 

“Great!”

“C’mon Sun. We gotta get going. Blake, it was nice meeting you.” The blond woman gave her a small wave which she returned. The Schnee was glaring at her with daggers that made the faunus woman think that if she hadn’t had her Aura protecting her then that look would kill her. 

“Bye Blake!” Sun ran off after his friends, waving to her as he ran off. 

“Bye.” Was her only response. The faunus waited there letting the situation she just participated in, sink into her mind. When she knew that the three Hunters were long gone, Blake ran as fast as she could back to Ruby’s home. Legs did not stop and lungs burned with effort as the woman sprinted her way to her home.  _ Home? Did I really have the right to call it that? Am I  really so comfortable there that I would call it home?  _ It was strange for her to think such a thing. All her life she never had a home, a place that would always be there. Blake had traveled from kingdom to kingdom with the White Fang so settling in didn’t really happen. 

Amber eyes spied the cabin, light shining through the window from inside due to the late hour. It was nearly dark now and Blake hadn’t noticed, she was just running, panicking slightly from interacting with strangers when Ruby wasn’t by her side.  _ What if I said something wrong? What if they’re following me right now? Will Ruby get mad at me?  _ Many worries ran through the faunus’s head as she entered the small place, panting heavily. Closing and locking the door behind her, she backed away simply looking at it. Her thoughts were scattering and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. “Blake?” Ruby’s voice sounded from behind her. Whipping around to face the younger woman who was sitting at her desk with a concerned look on her face, Blake hugged herself. The silver eyed woman knew the signs whenever Blake was trouble so she shot out of her chair and walked over to the older woman. “What happened?” She placed her hands on the older woman’s shaking shoulders.

“I-I saw people. They were o-on the mountain. It was-they were members of The Order and there was your sister, and Weiss, even Sun. They talked to me. I g-got careless. I’m sorry, I’m sorry Ruby-” Blake was speaking without taking a full breath and it concerned her younger friend.  _ My sister? They ran into Blake? It doesn’t matter what they were doing, Blake’s having some sort of attack.  _ Shaking her head she focused her thoughts on the faunus in front of her.

“Blake, calm down it’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry, there nothing to be sorry for. You had a run in with some of my old friends, so what? It’s okay, I’m not mad or upset so don’t you worry about it. Just breathe.” Ruby spoke in her most calming voice, rubbing her friend’s shoulders comfortingly. 

“I didn’t say anything to them about you I swear!” Her breaths were short and quick not allowing her to get enough air. 

“Blake, look at me.” The Rose said firmly, taking the woman’s cheeks in her hands and forcing their eyes to meet. “You did nothing wrong. I’m not mad at you, I’m worried. You’re having a panic attack and you need to calm down. Okay? You think you can do that?” The faunus nodded making the raven-red head smile. “Good. Now, take nice deep breaths. In and out, just like me.” Blake did her best to follow Ruby’s example. They breathed like that for several minutes before the amber eyed woman finally began to relax.

“Sorry about that.” She whispered looking down with shame. “I thought I had gotten better.” 

“You have Blake there are just a few areas that we haven’t worked on. Like other people and you’re kinda on your own with any,  _ intimacy _ issues you’ve probably acquired.” Ruby winced when Blake grimaced at the thought of intimacy. Slowly, Ruby lowered her hands to her sides now that the cat faunus was finally calmed down. “These things take time. They don’t just fix themselves overnight, or without hard work.” 

“I know.” The raven haired woman sighed as she made her way to the bed to sit down. “I never would have made it this far without you though. Before I was nothing but bone. Now, I’m stronger, healthier, and I even have my Aura back. You’ve helped me more than anyone else in my entire life.” Ruby walked over and returned to her seat at her desk. 

“I’ve got a big heart. Never in my life would I turn away a living thing that needed help. Hell, that’s how I got Zwei here.” Said canine jumped into the woman’s lap. “He was just a little pup abandoned on the streets to fend for himself. I took him in and he’s been my best friend ever since. Guess I have a habit of picking up strays, huh?” Ruby nuzzled Zwei’s nose with her own, scratching at his ears much to his pleasure. “So, you ran into my sister?” Silver eyes looked up questioningly. 

“Yeah, along with Weiss and Sun. Sun is actually an old friend of mine, childhood friend.” 

“Sun Wukong. Hm, he seemed like the kind of guy to make friends with just about anyone when I was in The Order. He...actually might’ve mentioned you at some point. Ah, I don’t know. Don’t really wanna remember a lot of that shit.” A scowl made it’s way to the younger woman’s face, but she quickly got rid of it. “What happened anyway? What did they say?” 

Blake recounted the whole exchange to which Ruby listened intently, absentmindedly petting Zwei’s fur. Amber eyes couldn’t read the other woman, her facial expressions didn’t change and no emotions flashed before her eyes. She was almost stoic. When the faunus finished with her story she waited patiently for her friend’s response. “At least they’re all doing okay. Least I can ask for.” Silver eyes looked toward the black book. 

“They offered me a position within The Order, as a Huntress.” Ruby’s eyes widened, shooting over to look at the woman with utter shock.

“Seriously?” Blake nodded making Ruby’s mouth fall open slightly. “Do, you  _ want _ to take the job?” 

“I honestly don’t know. You saw how badly I reacted with only three other people. I can only imagine what would happen if it was a larger group of strangers.” Her hands were fiddling with one another nervously. She hadn’t really thought about the offer, being too preoccupied with making sure nothing about Ruby had slipped. Ruby was quiet for a while seeming like she was in thought. The distinct look of debate was on her face, eyes shifting around but not looking at anything in the room. Blake observed her patiently, but when she saw the look of sadness cross the young woman’s face she began to worry. “What do you think?” 

“I think you should do it.” 

“W-What?” The older woman was caught off guard. Ruby looked at her in the eye with internal determination. 

“I think you should do it. It would be good for you to begin working on being around other people, making more friends and all that. Being with me all the time is, holding you back from healing and being independent.-”

“You are not holding me back Ruby.” 

“Yes, I am. Think about it. Since you’ve been here when have you ever been left to deal with things by yourself?” The younger woman was looking at her in a way that dared Blake to lie. The faunus’s mouth flopped open and closed like a fish out of water until she slumped with defeat. “Exactly, I’ve always been there to step in and save the day. Make you feel safe, but now I think you’re capable enough to begin healing on your own. I can’t always be there for you to fall back on or else you won’t be able to live your own life the way you want to.” 

Now that Blake was thinking about it, it did make sense. Since the very moment Ruby brought her to her home, the faunus has never once had to comfort herself and find her own strength to overcome strife that has attacked her relentlessly. Ruby was always there offering her strength, but it was a handicap that kept Blake from learning how to do it herself. Ruby was right, if she was always around, Blake would resort to using her as her comfort blanket instead of making her own. “I guess you’re right, but-”

“You won’t be alone there Blake. Sun will be there to offer  _ some _ support. At least you’ll know someone there.”

“What about you though?” Blake asked. If she left then Ruby would be alone again, hiding from her history.

“I’ll be fine. I made it four years by myself a few more won’t kill me. Besides I’d never forgive myself if I became something that held you back from being truly happy.” Ruby gave her a smile, an encouraging one. “The Knight-Captain and I had a lot in common and wanting to help people was always one of them. We put strangers before ourselves, so let me put you first and myself second. Don’t think about me, just be selfish and think about yourself for a while, you deserve it. Think about what would be best for  _ you _ .” 

“Maybe you’re right.” A sigh escaped the faunus’s lungs as she thought about the ex-Huntress’s words. Ruby snorted flashing a cocky smile.

“I  _ know _ I’m right.” 

“There should be more people in the world like you, Ruby. Maybe then Faunus and Humans could get along and there wouldn’t be a war going on right now. Then the past year of hell wouldn’t have happened.” 

“We’ll never know what could’ve been. Just gotta accept the world the way it is now. The past is forever, there is nothing and nobody in the entire world that can change what has already happened. What we can do is move on and let our past be a learning experience, something that makes us all unique and different. Honestly, the world would be boring if we were all relatively the same.” Ruby leaned back in her chair, relaxing as she spoke while Blake laid back on the bed, playing her arms out as her legs hung over the edge. 

“Oh wise one lead to me to a life of prosperity.” The faunus joked, hearing the raven-red head laugh. 

“So, Blake. I’ve realized that I don’t know much about you, before you joined up with the White Fang. What was your childhood like?” 

“Ah, there’s not much to tell. My mother was always very sick and she lost her life giving birth to me. My father was crushed. He couldn’t support me on his own so he had no choice but to put me in an orphanage. That’s where I met Sun. Being the shy and solitary child I was I didn’t make many friends, but Sun just came up to me and talked to me. He was nice and we stood up for each other when the older human kids would treat us badly for our faunus heritage. They used to tug on my ears, which hurts a lot by the way. They’re just so sensitive. Sun would always get his tail pulled on, but the Mistress would never do anything about it.” During the raven haired woman’s story, Ruby had gotten up and flopped herself on her side next to her friend who moved her arm to make room, letting Zwei go off on his own in the cozy home. 

“Where did the scar on your ear come from?” Blake knew what Ruby was asking about. On her right cat ear, there was a small scar just at the edge where fur didn’t grow anymore. 

“I slept on a top bunk next to a window. In the middle of the night, one of the girls there thought it would be funny to throw me off the bed. She didn’t know I would end up hitting my head and cutting my ear on the window when the glass broke.-” She might’ve continued with her story if it weren’t for the finger that traced itself over the little scar on her ear. The light touch tickled making her ear flick, but she herself jumped not really sure how to feel about her ears being touched. When the ears jerked, Ruby had withdrew her hand a few inches before slowly returning it to trace the tiny furless area. “R-Ruby…” Blake was about to discourage the action when the fingers began to scratch the scalp at the base of her ear making the complaint die in her throat. 

A chill ran down her spine at the feeling of bliss causing her eyes to flutter shut. Blake couldn’t remember the last time someone had scratched her ears and treated them so kindly. It was actually kinda nice. There was a strange feeling building up in her chest as Ruby became more comfortable, seeing as Blake was enjoying herself, so she began to scratch in the middle of the feline appendages. The foreign feeling only grew until it couldn’t be captain anymore, coming out as some sort of rumble.  _ Am I...purring? _ The faunus asked herself, opening her amber eyes halfway to look over at the woman who was currently giving her ears attention. Kindness shown in the silver orbs that gazed back at her own golden ones, making her heart warm up in her chest next to the growing purring noise. 

Turning over on her side she shimmied over to Ruby until she could cuddle into the woman’s warm neck, nuzzling the skin with her nose. She wasn’t sure what she was doing with her hands, but she liked it. They were kneading into the younger woman’s toned stomach as she purred, feeling said woman’s fingers caress the black velvet ears directly. A chuckle rumbled in Ruby’s throat due to Blake’s working hands that were tickling the raven-red head. “Someone’s kitty instincts are kicking in.” Teased the younger woman. Blake let out a song that was somewhere between a groan and a mewl. “I’m just teasing. It’s kinda cute.” Ruby’s free arm wrapped around Blake’s waist, holding her close and halting her ministrations on the older woman’s ears, much to her disappointment.

Blake became worried when Ruby’s grip on her tightened and her lungs released a shuttering breath into her raven hair. The purring had not stopped due to how comfortable she was with the other woman, but that didn’t stop her from being concerned with her friend’s behavior. “Ruby?” Came her cautious call.

“You’re going to leave aren’t you.” The raven-red head wasn’t really asking, as if she already knew the answer. Blake hadn’t really thought about it, but when Ruby said that, it clicked that yes, she wanted to take this chance and try to be independent so that she wouldn’t be a burden for her friend any longer.

“Yeah…” Her ears flattened on her head at the thought. Ruby was special to her after all she had done and she didn’t want to leave that. If she could stand on her own though, she knows that Ruby would be proud of her and she wanted that. The grip on her tightened, but she didn’t fight it, in fact she cuddled further into the woman’s neck, inhaling her scent. Dust was she going to miss the smell of roses. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another chapter for you guys before I have to go back to work for Dust knows how long. Hope you enjoy it and please comment, it really keeps me motivated!!!

The few days following Blake’s decision of joining The Order were a little too fast for her liking. She would have enjoyed spending more time with Ruby, who had done her best to do things with Blake before she left. They would sit around reading together, work on the expansion, and talk about their pasts. The raven haired faunus even became comfortable enough to tell Ruby about Adam, the man who had tortured her for a year. To her surprise she didn’t break down or cry at all the horrific memories, maybe due to the ex-Huntress’s comforting presence. Now, that the day of her departure was here she wished she wasn’t leaving, but her determination got the better of her. 

Blake stood patiently outside the cozy cabin, waiting for Ruby to show up with her ‘surprise’. The raven-red head had bought plenty of clothes for the faunus until she could get more of her own and was settled into her next home. As she waited, all the good times she had experienced with Ruby ran through her thoughts. Nothing was going to be the same without Ruby around. 

A whinney dragged her from her own mind making amber eyes look up to see Ruby leading a jet black horse in her direction. Blake’s eyes widened in shock as they drew closer. “I thought this would be useful since you’ll be doing a little traveling on the job.” Ruby smiled as the awestruck faunus who gently pet the large animal. 

“You got me a horse?” 

“Yup, great stallion. Costed a few silvers.” 

“Ruby, you shouldn’t be spending so much money on me or I’ll be spoiled.” The raven haired woman laughed, scratching the stallion’s chin. 

“But I like spoiling you! Besides, no refunds! I got you a few other things too. One is to help you out until you get paid, the other...well, let me just show you the first thing.” Ruby was smiling brightly as she reached into the saddle bag and withdrew a coin purse. “This should keep you relatively financed until you get paid.” She handed the purse over. 

“Oh Dust, where did you get this kind of money?” There were at least twenty five gold coins in the bag. 

“I save up. That’s only a little of what I got. So, it’s not my entire life savings if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“But-” Blake wanted to argue only for the younger woman to raise her hand up, halting her words.

“No buts! Now the other thing.” Pulling a box from her pocket, she handed it to Blake who cautiously opened it, figuring it would be something else that was crazily expensive. When the lid was taken off, all the air froze in the faunus’ lungs at the sight. Within the box was a necklace with a glimmering silver chain and an amethyst jewel shaped like fire. It was her personal insignia.  _ How did Ruby know about this? _

“When I bathed you that one time, I saw the tattoo you had on your thigh and figured it was important somehow. Otherwise you wouldn’t have it practically branded into your skin.” Ruby scratched her neck sheepishly. “So, do you like it?” 

“It’s beautiful, Ruby. Can you, put it on me?” 

“Yeah.” Taking the necklace, Ruby waited as Blake turned around and swept her hair out of the way. Swinging the jewelry into place Ruby clasped the small clip. The raven haired faunus turned around, smiling at how well it fit. 

“I’m afraid to ask how much this costed.” 

“Actually, I made it myself.” There was a certain bashfulness in the ex-Huntress’s behavior that made Blake’s heart melt. The usually confident woman was showing a shyer side of herself. 

“Really?” Amber eyes widened in awe as Ruby nodded. “This is, amazing work.” 

“Thanks. I worked pretty hard on it.” 

“Ruby?”

“Yeah?” Silver eyes gazed at the faunus curiously. She jumped slightly when Blake wrapped her arms around her waist tightly, burying her face in the younger woman’s neck. 

“Thank you. For everything you’ve done for me. It really means a lot.” The older woman mumbled quietly to which Ruby returned the embrace.

“It was no trouble at all, Blake. After everything I want you to consider this place a home. Somewhere you can always come back to. That’s why I want to give you this.” Breaking away from one another Blake felt something being put into her hand. Looking down she gasped at the piece of metal that was cold against her palm. It was a key.

“Is this, what I think it is?” The faunus couldn’t believe she was looking at a key.

“Yup, that’s the key to my place. I want you to feel like you can come and go as you please. It’s your other home after all.” Ruby let out a nervous laugh. 

“This is-”

“Ah!” A hand shot up to stop Blake from speaking. “Don’t say anything, just promise that you’ll come back and visit. Or else Zwei will just mope around with how much he misses you.” Said canine gave a peeved bark that made Blake chuckle. 

“Is Zwei the only one who’s gonna miss me?” Suggested the raven haired woman, smiling knowingly at her younger friend who looked down with embarrassment. 

“He’s gonna miss you, but  _ I’ll _ miss you more.” Ruby flashed her a large, white smile with red cheeks. Blake couldn’t help but smile back feeling heat rise to her own cheeks.

“I’m really gonna miss you too, Ruby. It’s scary to think what’ll happen without you there with me.”

“You’ll be fine. I believe in you.” The raven-red head put her hands on the faunus’ shoulders, rubbing them reassuringly. “And if anything gets too hard for you to handle, don’t hesitate to come back.” 

“Thank you. It really means a lot.” A large smile grew on Blake’s face, as she looked at the other woman. They stared at each other in silence for what seemed like minutes, minutes that both didn’t want to end, but with every story there is an ending. “Um, I should probably get going if I plan to make it there before nightfall.” 

“That’s probably wise.” Ruby coughed awkwardly as she withdrew the hands that rested on the faunus’ shoulders. “I’ll help you up.” She gestured to the saddle on the back of the solid black stallion. With a nod Blake walked over, placing her foot in Ruby’s locked hands before swinging herself up onto the large animal, placing her feet in the stirrups. “Some pieces of advice before you go.” Blake looked down at the ex-Huntress with interest. “Steer clear of a few particular people. The new Knight-Captain especially. His name is Cardin, him and his friends Russel, Dove, and Sky don’t like the faunus, they aren’t friendly to any of faunus heritage so stay as close to Sun and any of his friends. Another thing is if Lord Ozpin ever asks you a question it is always best to tell him the truth, he always knows when someone is lying so there no use in doing so, alright?”

“Got it.” The feline faunus nodded.

“Almost forgot. Weiss Schnee, I know about the rumors with her hating the faunus too, but truly she doesn’t. She has trust issues that stem way back to when her parents were alive and White Fang members killed her father, so just be patient with her. I swear she’ll warm up to you if you prove to her what you’re really like.” There was a sad smile on the younger woman’s face as Blake nodded to her. Zwei ran himself over giving a needy bark that gained the two women’s attention. A chuckle escaped the raven haired woman as her friend picked up the companion in her arms. 

“You know Zwei, for a dog. You aren’t half bad.” Blake reached over, scratching the canine behind his ears making his nub wiggle with happiness. Ruby smiled at the exchange, glad to know that the two opposites were getting along. 

“Say goodbye, buddy. Blake’s leaving and she’ll be gone for a while.” Zwei seemed to understand his master’s words, lowering his ears sadly and letting out a small whine. Ruby took one of the corgi’s paws and waved it at the faunus who laughed. Silver and amber met for what seemed like the hundredth time within the past few minutes. Ruby smiled. “Good luck. Show them what you’re made of.” Blake smiled back to the woman, nodding. 

There were so many things she wanted to say, wanted to thank Ruby for, but nothing that came to mind seemed like enough. Words themselves seemed to pale in comparison to all the care and nurturing the woman had given the faunus who had grown up without it. So, she was going to wait until there  _ was _ something that was good enough to show how thankful she was, and whenever she finds it the faunus will come running back to her first home and finally represent her full appreciation. 

“I will. Goodbye, Ruby.” 

“Goodbye, Blake.” 

The faunus could’ve sworn that before she clicked her tongue, setting the horse in motion and turning her back to Ruby, she caught a glimpse of a tears in the silver pools. Casting her gaze down to her hand she couldn’t help but feel her own tears sting the back of her eyes, bubbling over until they rolled down her cheeks. Blake was afraid of leaving the safety of Ruby’s company, but more than anything she didn’t want to disappoint the woman who gave the faunus her long lost confidence and strength back. She  _ had _ to do this, to prove she wasn’t a burden, that Ruby’s time had not gone to waste. She had to prove to herself, and wanted to prove to Ruby that she was worth all the time and effort. 

When she was a safe enough distance away she finally reached up to wipe the wetness away from her cheeks.  _ You can do this. You know you can. _ Blake took a deep breath, looking out to the mountain path in front of her.  _ Take the future and make it yours. _ “Here goes nothing.” The faunus whispered to herself. Setting the stallion back into motion, carrying her to what was ahead. 

 

The city was so big, bigger than she had imagined anyway. Citizens were bustling around, doing some last minute things before it got too close to nightfall. Blake occasionally saw a faunus as she rode through the settlement, glad that they could walk around without being bothered. All the sights and smells had her on edge though, not being used to so many people around her. She took in a large, calming breath when she felt the slight panic build up in her chest. 

Many hours past before she finally made it to Beacon Castle. Her mouth fell open in awe of the large building, threatening to touch the very sky that was mildly darker now. Out front there were two guards clad in silver armor with Vale’s crest imprinted on the chestplate. When one noticed her approach he reached for his weapon before speaking. “Halt! Who are you and what business do you have here?” He questioned gruffly, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword while his partner did the same. 

“My name is Blake Belladonna. I’m here to see Sun Wukong.” Blake answered, trying to keep her voice even. The guard looked at his partner, flicking his head in the direction of the castle. 

“Go fetch Mr. Wukong.” He ordered before looking back at the faunus who decided to busy herself with petting her horse’s mane. “You’ll have to wait here until confirmation from Mr. Wukong.” Giving him a silent nod, Blake waited. It wasn’t long before the enthusiastic monkey faunus ran his way to her with the guard in two. 

“Blake! You’re really here. I kinda thought you wouldn’t be coming.” The blond chuckled, scratching the back of his neck as Blake dismounted the horse and was encircled by a hug.

“Well, I thought about the offer and decided to take it. So, here I am.” She smiled as they withdrew from one another. 

“Really? You’re serious? Please tell me this isn’t a cruel joke.” Sun gave her a playfuly sceptical look to which she sighed with a roll of her eyes. 

“Yes, I’m completely serious.”

“This is great!” His enthusiasm came out as a jump into the air with a large, excited, and happy smile on his lips. “You’re gonna love it here. Most of the members actually respect the faunus! Ozpin treats us all like equals and my friends are gonna love you! Yang’s amazing, but you’ve already met her and her wife, Weiss Schnee, well you’ll grow on each other.” 

“I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.” Blake chuckled at the man who had realization cross his face. 

“Oh! Here, let’s take your horse to the stable and get all this tack off of him. Then you can come and meet everyone else.” The monkey faunus took the animal’s reins, pulling him in the direction of the stables. 

“Sure.” She nodded, walking next to him. 

“So, what was it like living up there in the mountains by yourself?” 

“It was, nice.” That was an understatement because she loved that place. “Very peaceful, quiet, and the perfect place to be alone. Get one’s thoughts in order.” 

“Sound like just the place for you. With how much you read books I wouldn’t be surprised if you went through a whole library in one month.” 

“Reading keeps me distracted.” She smiled lightly as they entered the stable that was on the castle grounds. 

“This will be your horse’s stall for as long as the both of you are here.” Sun led the horse into an empty stall that had a layer of straw on the floor and places along the wall for feeding and watering. “Just keep the saddle on the door, there’s a little hook on the outside of the door to hand his bridle.”

“Alright, good to know.” She unbuckled the saddle before putting her hands under the leather seat and lifting up. It was relatively light so she had no trouble carrying it, though there was a strange weight coming from one of the bags. After putting the saddle over the door the faunus lifted the flap to the side saddle bag and her eyes widened in shock. There in the bag was the black leather book, handwritten by the Knight-Captain.  _ Did Ruby put this in here? Why? This is special to her right? So, why would she be giving it to me? _ Blake wondered, remembering that she hadn’t finished reading the tome. Sun had come over after removing the stallion’s bridle, noticing that Blake was staring at the book.

“Figures you’d bring a book to read. Is it any good?” He questioned after putting the tack on the hook. 

“Yeah, a friend gave it to me.” Pulling the black book out, Blake put it in her satchel before turning to Sun with a smile on her face. 

“Oh yeah, what kind of friend are we talking about?” His blond eyebrows wiggled suggestively prompting Blake to slap him on the shoulder. 

“It’s not like that!” 

“Whatever you say.” The monkey faunus seemed unconvinced, raising his hand in surrender with a grin. “So,” He began after exiting the stall with Blake in tow, “have you been seeing anyone the past couple years?” Blake latched the door behind her, patting the stallion’s nose affectionately. 

“No, not really. Haven’t thought about romantic relationships in a very long time.” She answered as Sun began to walk away and out of the stables, which she followed him. A look crossed his face that struck the feline faunus as bizarre, there was relief among other things.

“Oh well, best to wait for the right person then huh?” 

“If they’re out there.” Blake shrugged nonchalantly.

“Yeah. Um, we should go and see Ozpin I’m sure he’d be glad to meet you.” 

“Wouldn’t he be busy?”

“Nope.” Sun shook his head. “He never seems to be anyway. Just likes to wander around the castle at times drinking tea. Makes you wonder what he’s thinking. Lord Ozpin is a very mysterious man but kindhearted nonetheless.” Blake simply hummed in response. 

“After we talk to Ozpin about getting you joined up I’ll introduce you to everyone properly. You’ll love them.” He opened the large doors to the castle after letting the signalling to the guards that Blake was of no threat. 

Upon entering the large and spacious room she couldn’t help the look of awe that painted itself on her features as she took in the lavish space. The walls were made of marble as well as the support pillars that had green banisters with Vale’s crest etched in gold. Both natural and candle light lit the room so residents could see, casting a golden hue over the whole room. On the floor was a green carpet with gold trim that made a pathway to a similarly colored throne as which Lord Ozpin must sit at time. Behind the throne were staircases on both sides leading up to the next floor and above it all was a dazzling chandelier that sparkled when the light hit it just right. “Wow…” The single word was breathed out making the blond faunus laugh at his friend’s amazement. 

“It’s pretty breathtaking isn’t it.” 

“You could say that again. This room is huge.” Amber eyes looked around absorbing as much of the room as she could as they walked through it and down a long hallway. 

“That room is mostly used for gatherings like whenever people come with demands or requests, but the best part is all the parties and Balls are held in that room.” As they made their way down the hall Blake took in the new surroundings. There were many different paintings of people on the walls, she didn’t know who most of them were until there was one of Yang, Weiss, then a scrawny blond man, a redhead in gold armor, raven haired man with a small pink streak, a peppy looking orange haired woman, Sun with his shirt open like usual, a blue haired guy, and when she saw the last one Blake stopped in her tracks. 

There upon the wall was Ruby, a younger looking Ruby. The raven-red head was posed in a confident and prideful way that made the faunus smile. She wore black leather armor, the jacket-like clothing that covered her top half had flaps that reached down to her knees, exposing the lower half of her midriff. Abdominal muscles could be seen in the picture, as well as her decently sculpted arms that were completely exposed. Flowing behind the younger ex-Huntress was a red, hooded cloak. She was smiling, but it wasn’t like the smile Blake had seen while at the cabin, this smile was strained like she didn’t mean it. “Blake?” Sun’s voice caught her attention.

“Um, this girl…” He looked at the painting only for sadness to wash over his features like a flood. 

“Ruby Rose. She died about four years ago. Yang’s her older sister. It’s best not to mention mention her name around here, it’s kinda taboo. There was some, bad blood, between us and Ruby before she died and…” He sighed, lowering his head slightly, “just don’t mention her name. Okay?”

“Sure, no problem.” Casting one last glance at the picture, Blake walked with Sun some more before a tall figure came out from one of the corners. His hair was a silvery grey color and he wore circular glasses in from of his eyes. His attire was expensive looking, not to mention elegant. All green with gold trim and a few areas of silver and black. In his hand was a cup with steam rising from it. The older man averted his gaze to the two faunus. 

“Ozpin! I was just looking for you. This is Blake Belladonna, she’s here to become part of The Order. Blake this is Lord Ozpin.” Sun introduced the two, but Blake couldn’t bring herself to do anything at all. She had never been in the presence of any royalty, so she was unsure of what to do. 

“Sir.” That and a small bow of her head was all she could must. The older man chuckled. 

“No need for formalities, Blake. Just call me Ozpin, that’ll do just fine.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ozpin.” 

“As it is you. I hear that you are willing to join our little ragtag group of Huntsmen?” One of his brows quirked, brown eyes roaming over her form as if assessing her. Those eyes seemed to see right through her.

“I wouldn’t really call The Order of Beacon ragtag, it’s a world renowned group, but yes I’m willing to join you.” A small chuckle escaped her to which the silver haired man smirked.

“Well, consider yourself officially a member. We’ll deal with all the paperwork tomorrow in my study. I’m sure you hate dealing with paperwork just as much as I do, not to mention it is getting late. So, go along and make yourself comfortable, meet some of the different people here and find your room to get settled. Meet me in my study by noon tomorrow and we’ll handle all the papers then. And Blake.” Her head tilted slightly with curiosity. “Don’t hesitate to come to me with any issues regarding how you are treated due to your heritage.” Brown eyes flicked up to cat ears that twitched. “I don’t tolerate inequality in Vale, especially The Order.”

“I won’t hesitate at all.” Blake confirmed boldly. 

“Very well. Off you go and I’m off to see my wife.” With that Ozpin sipped his tea and walked in the direction the two faunus had just came. 

“Is that how recruitment usually goes?” She asked Sun, confused at how easy it was. 

“Sometimes, I think it just depends on the vibe he gets from the person, so you must have given him some pretty good vibes. Welcome to the Order!” The blond monkey cheered beginning his walk again. Blake felt odd, like it was too easy, but the way Ozpin was looking at her it was like he knew who she was just by gazing at her. A shiver ran down her spine at how vulnerable that made her sound. “Now, it’s time to meet the gang. They’re all out in the garden hanging out before they leave to their homes, or rooms.” Sun grasped her wrist which instantly put her on edge due to instinct, pulling her along. 

The two walked down the hallway until there was a door that Sun didn’t hesitate to open to the outside. When Blake stepped out she couldn’t help but admire the view, even though the plants weren’t in bloom the fresh looking green bud definitely added some color. A large group of people turned their heads to gaze at her with curiosity, thought Yang smiled upon seeing her, Weiss held an expression that was unreadable and blake was pretty good at reading people. “Hey guys.” The monkey faunus called leading Blake over to the garden table they were all sitting at. Most of the faces she recognised from the hallway paintings. “I’d like you to meet, Blake. She just joined up with us.” There were collective nods and ‘nice to meet you’s around the group of friends. 

“Oh _Dust_! You’re kitty ears are _so_ _cute_!” An excitable orange haired woman squealed with her hands pressed to her cheeks. It was an unexpected compliment to say the least. 

“Th-Thanks.” Blake cursed herself slightly for stumbling over her words. 

“That would be Nora Valkyrie, this is her soon-to-be husband Lie Ren.” Said man gave her a small wave which she returned with a slight bow of her head. “These two here are Jaune Arc and his wife Pyrrha Nikos.” 

“Hiya.” Jaune smiled at her. 

“Hello!” The redhead greeted happily. Blake noticed that the redhead had a bit of a stomach and smiled at the realization that she was in fact early in pregnancy. 

“Hello.” Blake echoed. Sun hopped over to a man with blue hair who winked at her, claping him on the shoulder. 

“This guy here is one of my very best friends, Neptune Vasilias. Be wary of him he likes to think he can get any woman he wants.” 

“It is certainly a pleasure to meet you, beautiful.” Neptune flashed her a smile and she just rolled her eyes and groaned much like all the others were doing. 

“Lastly, you’ve already met Yang Xiao Long and her wife Weiss Schnee.” 

“Welcome to our domain, Blake.” The blonde brawler opened her arms wildly as if to gesture to everything around her.

“Nice to see you again.” Weiss responded a little flatly, making Yang roll her eyes. The feline faunus could feel her throat going dry and her throat seizing up. Her heart beat was out of her control as it began to speed up tremendously. Oh shit, her anxiety was flaring up and Blake felt her control slipping. 

“Why don’t you sit down and talk with us Blake? That way we can get to know you better.” Yang suggested politely. 

“Actually, I’m pretty tired and I was thinking about turning in early. Today has been, pretty draining for me.” 

“Then getting to know you can wait until tomorrow.” The blond female chuckled at her as Sun approached. 

“Let’s get you to your room.” With a final wave she followed Sun back into the castle, able to breath a little bit easier now that she was away from the large group. Only a little though. Silently, Blake trailed next to Sun until they made it to her room where she would be staying for as long as she wanted. 

“Thanks Sun. I appreciate it.” 

“Not a problem. You okay though? You aren’t getting sick or something are you?” Concern flashed on the male faunus’ face, eyes scanning her for any sign of illness.

“No, no.” Her head shook, waving around her ink colored hair. “I’m just tired. With some sleep I’ll be as good as new by morning.” She gulped, feeling her chest constrict. 

“Oh, alright.” He seemed relieved. “I’ll see you in the morning, Blake.” Before Blake could do anything she was ensnared in the blond man’s firm embrace that pushed her closer to the edge. 

“See you.” Sun gave her a small wave that she returned halfheartedly before quickly entering her room and closing the door behind her. With her back against the door she slowly slid down the wood barrier until her bottom reach the floor and she was able to bring her knees to her chest. “I don’t like this, Ruby. I don’t like it. They’re gonna hurt me, oh god he’ll find me here, he’ll find me. They can’t protect me, they can’t, not like you. Ruby, don’t leave me here alone. Please…” The thoughts that ran through her head were now escaping her mouth that was letting out labored pants, struggling to get oxygen into her lungs. “I can’t do this...I need you...I need you, Ruby…” 

Somewhere in the midst of her panic as she rocked herself against the door, a warmth was beginning to spread through her soul, intertwining itself around her Aura. It enclosed her soul in a comforting embrace of warmth and comfort. Her mind was too frantic to register what was happening, but it was helping. Gradually, Blake began to calm, breathing normally and regaining the control over her thoughts and body. Wiping her face with her hands, she let out a long sigh.  _ What’s wrong with me? They’re just people. Ruby’s old family. All that I’ve read about them from the black book proves that they’re good people, so why am I panicking?  _ Blake didn’t really have the strength to think it over, feeling overwhelmingly tired all of the sudden. Getting up with a stumble the faunus made her way to the bed and plopped herself down on it, falling asleep before she even hit the comforter. 

 

Ruby looked in the direction of the castle from her position in front of Coco’s tavern. With a sigh the covered woman shook her head relieved that now the faunus had calmed down, she could feel it deep within her soul.  _ Don’t let your past drag you down, Blake. Don’t repeat my mistake.  _ Turning around Ruby entered the tavern, greeted by the same sleazy smell that came with any tavern in the city. Coco and her friends instantly turned their heads in her direction as she walked through the wooden establishment and went to the back. The four friends dropped everything that they were doing to follow the younger woman into the back room where they would go if they ever needed to discuss private matters. “What’s up Ruby?” Velvet inquired, tilting her head slightly. 

“I’m gonna need you four to help me with something. This cannot reach any other members of the Vale army or The Order of Beacon. This is top secret, absolutely nobody can know.” There was an authoritative tone in the raven-red head’s voice that the others hadn’t heard in years as she tore off her hood and cowl that covered her face. 

“Of course. What is it you need?” Coco responded first, not questioning the ex-Huntress in front of her.

“Any information you can get on the whereabouts of White Fang forts, camps, outposts, meetings,  _ anything _ you can find.” With each word Ruby’s face was hardening to stone, silver eyes growing darker. 

“Wait, are you saying that you’re going to-” Yatsu began only to be cut off. 

“No, I’m not going to be aiding Vale in the war. I’m looking for someone.” When Ruby said that, the four others couldn’t help but think about one thing. 

“Is it about the orphanage?” The rabbit faunus spoke up, knowing that the others would be too afraid to bring up such a sore subject. Ruby sighed shaking her head. 

“No, that is a thing of the past now. There’s no use trying to change what cannot be changed, but this,” The woman released an almost feral chuckle, “oh  _ this,  _ is far more.” Silver eyes locked onto the four friends who stood in shock of the fire in those silver eyes, a fire that they thought had died out years ago. The desire to fight. Ruby sneered, growling out the last work that sent chills down their spines. “ _ Personal. _ ”   


	9. Chapter 9

Ozpin’s study was on of Blake’s favorite rooms so far that she had been in. The shelves were  completely covered in books from top to bottom. The Lord had made a comment about her face as soon as she entered,saying she looked like a child who just entered the candy store. She wasn’t here for the books though, Blake had to sign papers apparently. 

“This really is the most important thing you need to sign with your signature. It’s the Oath of The Order. More or less a contract.” The man slid a single sheet of parchment paper towards her sitting position in front of his desk. Amber eyes read over the document. 

 

_ As a member of The Order of Beacon you are sworn to the duty of protecting not only citizens of Vale, but people from anywhere in the world, from all walks of life and heritages. You are a respected member of society and are responsible for any and all of your actions, so you are required to act as properly as possible to even the rudest of citizens. With being in a position of such power you are not permitted to use this as leverage for any sexual favors, or threaten. The Order is a family so like with any citizen you are required to treat all members with as much of respect as for yourself. In any instance that you break the law you will be punished accordingly for your actions without exceptions. By signing this document, you bind yourself to these rules and The Order of Beacon. _

 

Blake’s mind traveled to the Knight-Captain for a moment, thinking about how she had signed this document. Her life was taken due to a false conviction of murder and hate. Ozpin could see her hesitate for a moment. “Is something wrong, Miss. Belladonna.” His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. 

“Um, no. Not at all.” Taking a quill into her hand, she dipped it in ink before writing her name as the bottom of the paper. When she finished, she put the writing utensil down and returned her hands to her lap as the silver haired man took the paper. 

“Very good. Now, before you delve into all the duties of being a member I’d like to ask you some questions. Don’t worry others finding out, so long as we’re alone in my study everything you say is confidential.” Blake gave a small nod, nervous to hear his questions. “Have you ever associated yourself with members of the White Fang?” Amber eyes widened, muscles instantly becoming rigid. What would he do if he knew the truth? Would he kick her out? Would she become a prisoner?  _ Another thing is if Lord Ozpin ever asks you a question it is always best to tell him the truth, he always knows when someone is lying so there no use in doing so, alright?  _ Ruby’s voice rang through her head.  _ She’s right, no use lying if he’s gonna know. _

“Yes, I used to be associated with the White Fang, but I left many months ago.” Ozpin place his elbows on the top of the desk and linked his hands together. 

“Is that so? Mind telling my why it is that you left?” 

“At first I believed that we were fighting for all the right reasons, equality between the humans and faunus, but the longer I stayed the more I realized that we weren’t fighting for that anymore. We were killing and stealing from the people we had wanted to treat us like equals. I realized later they were satisfied with gaining respect out of fear instead of people seeing us as true equals. After all that dawned on me I tried to leave, but they didn’t let me go. For the past year they’ve,” Blake took a breath, trying to for the next words without thinking of all the terrible memories, “tortured me, until I finally escaped.” 

“I see.” He hummed thoughtfully, never looking away from the feline faunus. “It’s fortunate that your mistreatment hadn’t gone on longer. It pains me to think that the White Fang would do such a thing to one of their own. I’m sorry to hear such a thing, Blake.”

“Don’t be. I’m still on the road to recovery, but I’ve made some pretty big strides.” She smiled, thinking about a certain raven-red head.  _ I wonder what she’s doing. _

“And you did this, all on your own? That would be hard to believe.” 

“No, I had help from a friend. She saved my life that night and I owe her everything.” 

“Sound like she’s an amazing woman.” A small grin grew on the Lord’s lips. 

“Yes, that and more.” Blake nodded gaining a hum from the older man. 

“Well, that’ll be all Blake. Thank you for signing everything. Why not go out with the others? Get to know them a little better. They’re usually out in the garden sparring at this time, maybe you’d like to join in.” 

“I could use some fresh air.” She chuckled, standing from her seat. “But, I’d much rather prefer reading a nice book.” 

“As would I Miss Belladonna, but you get to know people pretty well once you’ve battled with them.” Ozpin smiled at her to which she kindly returned. 

“It’s definitely something to keep in mind. See you later.” With a small wave she exited his study, feeling his eyes on her as she left. The faunus walked down the halls and down to the third floor to her room and gathered something from atop her desk. The black book. It had been a long time since she read any of it, the last thing she could remember was when the Knight-Captain had escaped the dungeon. 

Heading out to the garden the sounds of fighting could be heard. It didn’t alarm the faunus though, knowing that the noises were from mere sparring. Once Blake made it outside the sounds had grown in volume. Amber eyes looked up to see everyone gathered around in a large circle while two people participated in friendly battle. It appeared that Yang and Nora were the two locked in combat. The feline faunus held no interest to watch, settling herself on the stone steps to begin reading, wanting to stay a safe distance away from the two high energy women. Flipping open to the right page, Blake became once again engrossed in the story. 

 

_ After releasing myself from that stone prison I sped through the castle, not bothering to hide the fact that I was free. My mind wasn’t thinking, my body was just doing, as if it were some sort of instinct. My feet took me pretty far before I regained control over myself, but I felt drained and my Aura wasn’t doing any good. The place was very familiar, painfully familiar. The cliff where to headstone of Summer Rose was perched. Ruby had always taken me with her to visit the deceased Huntress. Then Ruby had come along, showing that she still trusted me unlike all the others. We stood there for a while looking at the inscription on the stone. Thus kindly I scatter.  _

_I hadn’t noticed that there were people near me until the sound of footsteps alerted me of their presence. When I turned around_ _I saw a man mostly clad in silver clothing, a woman wearing some sort of red dress with black hair over her shoulder, and a guard I recognised as one of my friends. Emerald Sustrai. “Hey…” She tried to begin, but I interrupted her._

_ “Stay away from me, Em! Just stay away!” I was upset and confused, but my mind didn’t want to take everything in.  _

_ “Come with us, we can help you.”  _

_ “No. You can’t.”  _

_ “Maybe she can.” Ruby hoped that she was kind enough.  _

_ “Ozpin is the bad guy here. You’re not at fault, it’s Ozpin’s. He did this to you.” Emerald was lying and I knew it. We had become close enough for me to know whenever she lied, and let me just say, she lied a lot.  _

_ “You’re lying to me! Dammit, you always fucking lie!” _

_ “Help us Em.” Ruby cried.  _

_ “If she’s not going to cooperate we should just kill them and take what we want.” Growled the man in silver. It scared me to see the smile that formed on the other woman’s lips.  _

_ “Too bad.” Her voice was smooth, but dark as she extended her arms to create a bow and two arrows out of her Aura. I tried to activate my own but it refused to cooperate. All I have to say is that, glass arrows fucking hurt. Ruby would know too, one was embedded in her chest causing her to lose balance and fall to the depths. The last thing I remember seeing before I fell over the side of the cliff was the black colored arrow poking out of my chest, dangerously close to my heart. _

_ I don’t know how long it was before I finally hit the ground, but at least everything was gone before I could feel the impact. My resting place was close to someone I had admired. Summer Rose. I just hoped Ruby had survived.   _

 

Woah, hold on a second. Blake thought Ruby said that the Knight-Captain had died this way, as well as Ruby being there. This was confusing.  _ Maybe Ruby had to finish the story for her friend. _ She wasn’t sure. If this is when she died then she had no way to write this book. Ruby had lied to her. “Blake!” The faunus looked up to see Sun smiling at her. From behind him she saw a rather prideful Yang flexing her arm muscles while winking at Weiss who simply blushed and shook her head. Nora was pouting as Ren grinned at her childishness. 

“Yeah?” 

“You wanna spar at all?” He was flashing a bright smile at her. 

“Um, not right now. Maybe after I read some more of this book.” Blake pointed at said reading material as Sun nodded.

“That’s cool, just let me know when you feel like it.” 

“Will do.” With that the monkey faunus walked back to the circle leaving Blake to the book. She needed answers.

 

_ I was surprised when I woke up already healed, but still lying at the bottom of the cliff. My aura must’ve kicked in before anything was able to kill me. Ruby was fine too, she always was pretty tough. But upon realizing that we were alive, it became clear to me that the life me and Ruby had known was now over. It made me happy to see that Ruby wanted to stick around despite everything. We were starting a new life.  _

_ I found a nice place us to lay low where we built this cabin in Mountain Glenn, where nobody would find us and I could think over everything that had happened. Emerald and those two, why were they there? How did they in any way pertain to me? I didn’t know and I still haven’t found the answer. News of Ruby and I’s supposed death had spread rather quickly. After falling from that cliff I could tell I was changing, Ruby saw it too. The feeling of hopelessness, regret and many other things consumed me, pulling me farther and farther into the pits of depression and suffering.  _

_ For years I’ve suffered this undying pain and I’m tired of it, utterly exhausted from trying to fight it, so I’m giving up. I’m writing this book now to keep some memory of me behind. I just needed to tell the whole story, my side of it. This is the last I’ll be writing though, because tonight I’m going to end my own life, my pain will go along with it. Yes, it may be a cowards way out, but it’s all I’ve got anymore, Ruby tries but she’s just not enough. Nothing will be enough. _

 

“That’s it!?” She screeched, shooting up from her spot into a standing position. The woman’s outburst had gained the attention of some of the others. Those were the last words in entire book. That was the  _ end _ . “What the hell!? How could she end it like that? ” Blake raged, slamming the book shut before pacing. Ruby lied to her about the Knight-Captain’s death and that was wood to her fire of anger. As she did that the others just watched her. 

“She’s pretty passionate while she reads isn’t she?” Yang leaned over to whisper at everyone. 

“So it would seem.” Ren said.

The rage died out quickly upon the realization that someone so close to Ruby had taken their own life. Ruby wasn’t enough for the Knight-Captain. She must’ve been crushed after reading this.  _ Ruby... _ Blake sighed internally, unable to imagine the pain that her friend must’ve experienced.  _ Why did you lie to me? _ “Blake? You okay over there?” Sun called out to his childhood friend who jumped, remembering that she wasn’t alone. 

“Yeah, I’m alright. Just got caught up in this book.” A nervous laugh escaped her as she scratched her nape. 

“Okay…” There was a hesitant tone to his voice. 

The sound of the door to the garden opening caught Blake’s attention, making her turn around. Before she could absorb the scene in front of her a familiar black and white ball of fur launched itself at the faunus’ chest, knocking her off her feet. All the air forced itself out of her lungs when her back hit the ground. A wet tongue began assaulting her face to which Blake struggled to get the furry animal off of her. “Ew, Zwei. No licking!” She wined, forcing the corgi back so she could sit up and wipe the slobber from her features. Amber eyes looked at the canine skeptically. “What are you doing here anyway?” 

“Here, this should explain everything.” There was an accent to the voice, making Blake look up at the rabbit faunus above her. The brunette woman was holding what seemed to be a letter towards her. “The name’s Velvet Scarlatina, she told me to give this to you.” Velvet smiled as Blake stood up and took the letter, watching as a small boy with bright yellow hair ran past them towards the others. 

“Hey Mom, Yatsuhashi gave me a piggy-back ride today and he’s so tall!” He exclaimed happily while approaching Pyrrha. Said woman smiled lovingly to what Blake assumed was her son. 

“He is pretty tall isn’t he. Did you have fun with CFVY?” 

“Mm-hm. They let me play with Zwei, too.” 

“Zwei?” Pyrrha questioned. The boy pointed to the canine currently jumping up against Blake’s leg, begging for attention. 

“Someone came by to drop him off. He’s so fun to play with. We played fetch and he can do all kinds of tricks.” 

“That’s great Sky. Let's go tell your Dad all about it.” The redhead led her son over the Jaune as Velvet went over to start a conversation with the group. Meanwhile, the raven haired faunus unfolded the letter and began to read. 

 

_ Dear Blake, _

_ I’m going away for a while and I can’t take Zwei with me, so I figured he could spend some time with you. He misses you and you two can keep each other company while I’m away. Take good care of him. Take him for walks, feed and water him, play with him, and let him sleep in your bed. I’ll be gone for about a week so have fun. _

_ How is The Order treating you so far? Is everyone being nice to you? Just because you don’t live with me anymore doesn’t mean we can’t keep in contact. Write a letter and take it to Coco’s tavern near the edge of the city, they’ll make sure it gets to me. Be safe.  _

_ R.R. _

 

Blake let a grin come to her face as she refolded the parchment paper and tucked it way into her breeches. Looking down at Zwei who was still pawing at her leg to get her attention. With a chuckle she bent down, picking up the canine to hold him like Ruby would. He panted happily as she scratched behind his ears. “It’s good to see you Zwei. What’s your master up to, huh?” Of course the faunus knew that she wouldn’t be getting an answer, but she didn’t mind. She wondered what Ruby was doing, where she was going and if she was going to be safe. Ruby seemed to be a capable fighter so Blake would have faith in her abilities to protect herself. 

“That’s a cute little dog you got there, Blake.” Sun had walked over once again to start a conversation with his childhood friend. 

“His name’s Zwei. A friend of mine is leaving for a while and left him with me until she gets back.” She explained as the monkey faunus pet the canine. 

“I don’t remember you ever being a dog person because, ya know. You got the whole cat thing going on.”   
“He’s not so bad. This little guy is like another friend to me, spent the past three months getting to know him. At first he scared the shit out of me because of-” The faunus cut herself off. “Me being cat related, but now we’re pretty close.” 

“So, this friend of yours.” Sun started off hesitantly. “What’s he like?” 

“It’s a she, and she’s so kind, caring, and passionate. She showed me that there are actually some humans out there who care about the faunus. I was in a bad place when she flew into my life and saved it. I owe everything to her.” Blake smiled while talking about Ruby causing Sun to look at her curiously. 

“Sounds like she’s something special huh.”

“Don’t know what I’d do without her.” The raven haired woman rubbed Zwei’s belly, making his foot kick happily. 

“You know I was wondering, that since you’re new to the city and all. Maybe I could take you for a tour, show you all the best spots to eat, even show you some of the best libraries.” Sun had a tint of pink to his cheeks that the raven haired faunus failed to notice, giving most of her attention to the canine in her arms. 

“Sure, it couldn’t hurt to get know my way around the city. Especially if I’m gonna be living here.” Sun’s face brightened up immediately, a large smile spreading across his face. 

“Great! I’ll go let the guys know where we’re going and we’ll be off.” Blake grinned at the monkey faunus’ back as she let Zwei down. He looked up at her curiously as if asking why she had stopped holding him. 

“Looks like we’re going for a long walk, Zwei.” The canine’s little tail began to wag excitedly upon hearing the word ‘walk’.

 

“I asked you a question, dammit! Where the fuck is he!?” Ruby slammed the faunus against the wall. She stood within one of their many stone forts, surrounded by dozens of unconscious White Fang members clad in their signature uniforms. The raven-red head was currently interrogating the last conscious member, holding the fabric of his white tunic in her hands while pinning him to the stone wall. 

“Fuck off, human.” He spat, giving her a growl which she returned. Once again Ruby slammed him into the wall, but this time it was hard enough that the stone gave way a little. Her hand came up to clamp itself around his throat, effectively cutting off his air supply. 

“Now, you listen here you bastard. I’m not  _ fucking _ around! You don’t tell me what I want to know and I will crush your windpipe into dust!” The grip on his throat tightened. From behind his mask she couldn’t tell if he was scared or not, but he was desperately clawing at her wrist.

“You might as well just kill me you stupid bitch. I’d die before betraying my brothers of the White Fang.” The faunus rasped, shooting Ruby a cocky smirk when her glare hardened. The ex-Huntress sighed through her nose before releasing her grip. In a flash he was blown through the stone wall with a single punch to the jaw, knocking him unconscious like the rest of his group. Ruby took long, deep breaths as a means to relax her growing frustration. In one day she’s been to two of their hideouts and both times she’s come up empty. She could still feel a familiar presence close by to which she spoke. 

“Might as well come out Yatsu, I know you’re there.” Turning around silver eyes watched the big man come out from behind a corner. “I thought you were better at masking your Aura than that.”

“I was waiting until you said something. How long did you know I was there?” The Huntsman asked, walking closer.

“The whole time. Did Coco send you to keep an eye on me?” Ruby’s tone was slightly bitter as she began walking away to the exit. 

“It was a group decision to send someone to make sure you’re okay. They all worry about you sometimes.” He explained, following the woman out of the fort and into the spring air with nothing but woodland around them. 

“Well, you all don’t need to. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“You’re four years out of practice Ruby. We just figured you’d be a little rusty, but from what I saw.” His dark eyes cast a glance back at the fort. “You’re hardly rusty at all.” 

“I  _ do _ win the few times that we spar.” Ruby chuckled lightly, walking through the woods to her next destination. He scoffed. 

“Don’t rub it in.” There was a moment of silence before Yastuhashi spoke up again. “Ruby?”

“Yes?”

“What do you want with Adam Taurus?” The younger woman didn’t respond. “Does it have something to do with Blake?” 

“Yes, it has a lot to do with Blake. It’s something that I’m not allowed to discuss with others. All I can say is that he hurt Blake, so I’m gonna hurt him back.” She sighed, not wanting to think about all the horrors that Blake had told her about.

“Why are you sticking your neck out for her? You haven’t known each other that long, so why go through all the trouble-”

“It’s not trouble! I’m not sticking my neck out!” She snapped at him to which he backpedaled, holding his hands up with surrender. 

“Obviously I’ve touched a sore spot. My apologies, I didn’t mean to offend you.” Yastu apologized, falling back into pace with Ruby who had sped up her walk. 

“Let’s just stop talking about ‘why’, okay?” 

“Agreed.” A few of walking through the woods later he asked another question. “Are you going to kill him?”

“No. I’m just gonna fuck him up.” Ruby growled, shocking Yastu slightly. Ruby Rose wasn’t usually the kind of person to get this angry. 

“Are you sure you’re strong enough to take on the head of the White Fang?” 

“Positive. The bastard won’t have a chance.”

“Then I’m coming with you. Whatever he did to wrong Blake, he needs to be punished.” 

Ruby looked at him, the smile evident in her eyes though the rest of her face was covered by a black cowl. She still had to hide her identity even from those who didn’t know her so that nobody would be able to make any connections. Most of her attire was black and red. Red sleeveless tunic with black seams, black hood, black breeches as well as boots. “How is Yang doing?” 

“As best as she can be. She’s still struggling. Weiss says that she still goes into your room and thinks about you all the time. Your sister regrets not believing Ruby. She just wants you back, but believes that she can’t have that. Afterall everyone thinks you’re dead.” 

“If I go back and reveal to everyone that I’m alive. You know exactly what will happen.” Ruby looked down sadly, feeling conflicted about her sister. 

“Yeah, I know. We all just wish we could have the old days back. Where Cardin isn’t the Knight-Captain.” Yastuhashi didn’t seem to thrilled to speak of Cardin. 

“Is he really that bad?” The ex-Huntress questioned. 

“That and worse. Don’t know why Ozpin put him in that position instead of Yang, or put your uncle back until they found someone fit enough to be Knight-Captain.” 

“Ugh, not Qrow. He’s just a drunk anymore, probably don’t know up from down half the time.” She shook her head at the thought of her uncle, but smiled too. She missed that old quack. Silver eyes gazed up to the darkening sky. “Think we should make camp for the night. I’ll take first watch.” 

“Agreed.” 

 

Sun had given Blake the tour of Vale, but were accompanied by Jaune, Pyrrha and Sky much to the monkey faunus’ disappointment. The raven haired woman enjoyed getting to know the family a little better as she took in her surroundings, mapping the place out in her mind so that she would know her way back and forth. Jaune had a comical personality, but he held very little confidence in himself which his wife would try to build up. Pyrrha was well spoken, polite and had been a very good fighter when she was allowed, but nowadays since the redhead was pregnant none of the others would let her fight by herself, if at all. Sky was like his mother in quite a bit of ways, mostly his manners and his eyes, but got his blond hair from his father. He had been a little shy at first upon meeting Blake, but she just smiled and didn’t push him. Eventually, the boy asked her about her ears, than about the faunus. 

After he talked to Blake to the point he was comfortable with her, Sky went off and played with Zwei. The four adults made sure to keep their eyes on them as it grew darker. “He’s so energetic. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with him.” Pyrrha chuckled, holding a hand affectionately on her stomach. “Having another child is going to be a challenge.” 

“You know that everyone would gladly babysit to give us some time to rest.” Jaune smiled.

“Yeah Pyrrha! We love kids, well, except for Weiss. Remember when she had to hold Sky when he was still a baby she was so scared that it made him cry and she just gave him to Yang.” They all let out a chuckle. Blake couldn’t imagine the Ice Queen holding an infant, but the rest all seem to be quite capable, Neptune would have trouble though. She wasn’t confident that she would be any good either.

“Yes, but who was it that had Sky on the roof of the castle?” Pyrrha said accusingly while giving the blond monkey a mild glare, but still holding a smile on her face.

“What? He wanted a piggy-back ride so I climbed around the castle. It wasn’t like I was going to drop him. I’m an expert climber, he just got so scared to the point he couldn’t move.” 

“That’s the problem. He wouldn’t even go up the stairs at our flat for weeks because you made him afraid of heights!” 

“Hey, he’s over it now!”  
“Where did Sky go?” Jaune spoke up. Through the conversation they had failed to notice that the blond boy was no longer within their sights. 

“Sky?” Pyrrha called out only to get no answer. Panic was growing within them. 

“Zwei?” Blake looked around for the canine that was nowhere to be seen. Surely if Sky didn’t hear them calling, the dog with sensitive ears would. It was dark which made it hard for the two parents to see, but the faunus could see just fine. There weren’t many people roaming around, but the few that were looked like bad news. 

“Pyrrha, you and Blake go that way. Me and Sun will head in the opposite direction.” Jaune ordered, putting his hand on his sword as if expecting a fight.

“Got it.” The two women nodded, jogging off to search for the young Arc and corgi.

“Oh dust...Sky! Honey, where are you?” Pyrrha called in a panic as Blake looked around. 

“Zwei! Here boy!” Blake herself was starting to panic, not being able to see any sign of the two. Lifting her nose into the air she sniffed in hopes of finding a scent. She was no bloodhound but she knew the smell of Zwei when it entered her nose. Closing her eyes she took a deep inhale and concentrated her hearing causing her ears to flick rapidly. People walking, breathing, mild chatter from a nearby tavern, running water in the sewers, and a dog growling.  _ That has to be Zwei! _ “Pyrrha, this way!” 

Blake went as fast as she could with Pyrrha only being able to go so fast with her growing stomach. They made it down the cobblestone path, passing shading looking people the entire way. Zwei’’s smell and his growling were getting stronger as they reached the entrance to an alleyway. Amber eyes looked down the dark alleyway to see Sky as well as the corgi standing in front of a woman clothed in a red dress. The black and white canine was growling at the woman while the young Arc backed away. “Sky!” The redhead called out to her son who whipped his head around to look at his mother. The mysterious woman casted her gaze up, piercing the two of them with her glowing amber eyes before disappearing in a haze of glowing red embers. 

“Mom!” The blond boy quickly scampered over, wrapping his arms around the woman’s legs as Zwei turned around to see the cat faunus, running over to her so she could pick him up into her arms.

“Hun, I’ve told you not to run off on me or your father. You had us worried.” Pyrrha leaned down to wrap her son up in a hug. Blake snuggled the canine’s fur, getting an affectionate lick to her cheek. 

“I’m sorry, Mom.” Sky gazed up at his mother, ashamed. 

“Just don’t do it again. Okay?” 

“Okay.” He got a kiss to his forehead, but that didn’t stop him from feeling bad. 

“That goes the same for you, you mischievous little scamp. No more running off.” Zwei yipped in agreement. “We should probably find Sun and Jaune.” 

“Thank Dust, you found them.” Sun came up from behind them. Jaune was relieved too, walking over to ruffle Sky’s hair. 

“Blake’s the one who found them. Thank you, Blake. I really appreciate it.” Pyrrha said gratefully to which the faunus shrugged. 

“It’s no big deal. I’m glad to help, but I’m worried about that woman we saw.”

“A woman?” Jaune quirked one of his brows. 

“She was with the two until we found them. Did she say anything to you Sky?” The redhead asked the little boy who just shook his head.

“No, she didn’t say anything. She just smiled at me.” 

“Hm, we’ll tell Ozpin when we get back. You guys go home for the night and talk to Ozpin tomorrow after you sleep this off.” Sun suggested to which the couple agreed. 

“Good idea. See you all tomorrow. Thanks again, Blake. We really appreciate it and welcome to the Order.” The adult Arc shook her hand as she just nodded to him with a pleasant smile on her lips. Sun spoke up after the Arc family had walked off into the direction of their home. 

“So. To the castle?” 

“To the castle. I’m tired and Zwei’s probably getting hungry.” Said canine perked up, wagging his little tail at the thought of food. 

“Then let's get a move on.” 

Blake followed her childhood friend, eventually letting the corgi walk on his own as she wondered about the woman. She smelt like burning wood and her eyes shown like candlelight, which was no doubt unnatural.  _ What did she want with Sky? Who was she? What does she want? Was she even an enemy? _ The raven haired woman wasn’t sure, but she was definitely going to tell Ruby about it when she got around to writing a letter.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, sorry that it took two weeks for this guys but work keeps me from getting to where there's internet! I'm just glad I got to write this chapter and had it ready for today. Tell me what you guys think I really enjoy reading all your comments!


	10. Chapter 10

“Sir, we just got word that yet another one of our base camps has been hit.” Said a man clad in the trademark White Fang uniform with a custom Grimm mask covering his features. He stood at attention while his leader stood looking at a map of Vale, pinned to a wall of their tent with his back turned to the subordinate. Upon hearing the news the man turned around quickly face contorted with anger despite being half covered by a mask. His hair was a striking red with bull horns poking out of the red mass. Unlike the others he was clad in black instead of white.  

“What?!” The man shouted, mouth forming into a snarl.

“It’s the ninth one since it started last week, Sir. Again, none of the men were killed and-”

“That bitch!” 

“Pardon, Sir?” The subordinate was confused, tilting his head only slightly as the man before him raged. 

“She’s out there Lieutenant and she’s turning her back on us! Telling the Order where we all are! That traitorous cunt!”

“Who?” 

“Blake!” Adam growled, clenching his fists. “She’s still fucking alive! I can feel it! That is how these people keep getting to our bases. As to why they aren’t killing our men...that’s still a mystery.” 

“They asked about you, Sir. One troop from each of the bases says that they were interrogated. It appears that the only thing they are after, is you.” Adam began to pace, not entirely paying attention to what his lieutenant was saying, he was too caught up in thinking about Blake. “What do you propose we do, Sir?” 

“Search every inch of Vale. Blake is hiding there, I’m sure of it. She wouldn’t risk travelling alone, especially without her Aura there to protect her. She’s smart so the bitch will stay close to crowds so they’ll be witnesses.” 

“But what about the two-” 

“I don’t fucking care about those bastards! Find that bitch and bring her back here, I’ll make her pay dearly for her betrayal!” Adam roared at the top of his lungs to which the other man took a step back. “ _ Now! _ ” With that last shout the man exited his leader’s tent, sighing heavily. 

Adam stood still, along in his tent breathing heavily out of his mouth. The rage burned inside him at the mere thought of the raven haired cat faunus. The night she had escaped due to a troop’s negligence he had nearly turned the camp into rubble with hot rage. She  _ belonged _ to him, she was  _ his _ !  _ I’ll find you soon, my love. When I do you’ll wish you had obeyed. _ The redhead thought menacingly, letting a sadistic smirk for his lips until he saw someone enter his tent. 

“My, my Adam. What has your smalls in a bunch? I’ve never seen you this angry.” The woman chuckled, sauntering in while swishing her hips.

“It’s none of your business, Cinder.” Adam replied sternly, glaring at the woman from behind his mask. “What do you want?” Cinder smiled at the question. 

“Nothing at all. I’m merely here to talk about that little mission I ran.” The woman leaned against the table that sat in the middle of the large sized tent. 

“About the Nikos boy?” A crimson brow quirked to which Cinder agreed with a hum. “So, is he what we’re looking for?” 

“Unfortunately, no. Though he was barred by one of the strongest Huntresses known to Remnant, there was no sign that he had inherited the trait that we’re looking for. Though I didn’t get to observe him for long. His mother and some feline faunus intervened, not to mention there was a mangy mutt.” Adam perked up upon hearing ‘feline faunus’, which the woman noticed. She sighed, shrugging her shoulders. “Oh well, we’ll just have to keep searching-”

“Wait, this faunus you saw. What did they look like?” 

“Female. Black hair, cat ears atop their head. One with a little scar. Her eyes were an amber color almost like mine. Why? What do you care?” Cinder questioned smoothly, eyeing the bull faunus whose body had grown tense. 

“It doesn’t matter. What’s the next move?” He changed the subject and Cinder noticed, her smile growing. She was curious about the connection between the White Fang leader and the faunus she had seen that night a week ago, but getting her answers would have to wait.

 

_ Dear Ruby, _

_ Things are going okay in the Order. Everyone is treating me like family so far. I haven’t run into that Cardin guy you warned me of yet, so that’s good. It was nice having Zwei with me, him just being nearby helped me sleep, almost like you do. I’m still not entirely comfortable yet, I get jittery when there are too many people around me, but your friends don’t bother me. They don’t speak of you much, but one time I had walked out into the garden for some fresh air only to find Yang sitting out there by herself. I’ve been told that it’s a normal occurrence.  _

_ Weiss seems to be a bit weary of me though. I feel like she’s suspicious of my past and I’m afraid that sometime soon that she or one of the others will question me about it. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it. You’re the only one I feel comfortable talking to about it to, at least in detail.   _

_ Sky ran off one night with Zwei and we had to search for him. When we found the two there was a woman there. She was wearing a red dress with yellow designs along the sleeves, but her eyes were amber colored and they seemed to glow, like candlelight. She didn’t hurt them but Sun and I along with Jaune and Pyrrha discussed the situation with Ozpin. He’s been thinking of ways to handle it.  _

_ I read the rest of the book Ruby and I need you to answer my questions. Why did you lie about what happened to the Knight-Captain? Why didn’t you just tell me the truth? I’m sure you had your reasons but it hurt to think that you didn’t trust me enough to be honest about it. I want to apologize though, from what the book tells me you must’ve had a hard time helping her be herself and I’m sure it had caused you a lot of pain. You don’t have to answer me in your next letter. I’m planning on coming up soon to see you. There are times throughout my day that I think about you and I miss it already. I miss the cabin, I miss it’s smell, I miss the bed, I miss you, and I even miss your silly companion. But we are going to have to talk about this. _

_ Anyway, that’s enough of all the silly stuff. I hope you’re well and that you returned from your trip unscathed. How was it? Did you end up encountering a lot of Grimm? If you’re hurt you better tell me in the next letter because if I found out you hid it from me there will be hell to pay missy! _

_ From, _

_ Blake _

 

Blake put the quill down with a sigh, leaning back to rest in her chair after writing for a while. It was nearly night now and she needed to hurry to find those of Team CFVY so that they could get her letter to Ruby. Relaxing for a few moments, she folded the paper and placed it into an envelope, making sure to seal it with wax. Standing from her spot Blake exited the room and made the trip to the front of the castle where she was sure Velvet would be. 

The rabbit faunus was nice, very kind and shy. She and Blake got along well, but Blake had yet to get very well acquainted with the other members. They weren’t around the castle as much as the rabbit faunus was. Velvet was always checking in on everyone, making sure they were okay and Blake only assumed it had something to do with Ruby’s supposed death. 

Being greeted by the cool night air, Blake spotted the brunette woman standing at the bottom of the steps, having a pleasant conversation with Yang. Walking down the stone steps the raven haired faunus put on her best smile when the others noticed her presence. “Hey Blake. What’s up?” Yang smiled brightly at her.

“Not much just making Velvet my personal Courier.” Blake joked handing her letter off to Velvet who playfully sneered at the feline faunus. 

“Oh yeah? Who’s it to?” 

“A friend of mine. I lived with her before going out on my own.” 

“Huh. That’s nice I guess.” The blond shrugged, not seeming to be very interested.

“Well, it was nice talking to you Yang, but I really need to get back before Coco starts to worry.” Velvet spoke up, giving the blonde brawler a hug. 

“Alright, I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t let Coco wear you out tonight.” The rabbit faunus blushed, cheeks turning a deep red as she just shook her head and walk off briskly leaving Ynag behind to laugh. Blake smiled at the joke before turning around to return to her room for the day only for the blonde to stop her. “Hey, Blake?” The raven haired faunus turned around with a curious look upon her face.

“Yeah?” She watched the blonde fiddle with her fingers for a moment until lilac eyes connected with her own amber orbs. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with the gang tonight? In the garden?” There was an obvious sadness in Yang’s eyes, but there was a hint of hopefulness in her tone. 

“Sun told me that it was a personal thing though. Just for you guys that you did once a month.” The cat faunus was actually very curious, because it was the date of a month in which Ruby would disappear for most the day then come back to the cabin late, smelling like alcohol. 

“It is, but I just think it would be good for you to come and understand  _ why _ we do this. Since you’re new, you don’t know much about,” The blonde brawler hesitated a moment, eyes becoming glossy as if with unshed tears, “ _ Her _ .” Blake’s brow quirked with slight confusion. 

“Her?” 

“My sister, R-Ruby.” Yang’s voice had cracked when uttering her younger sister’s name. It almost felt foreign to her tongue because of how long it had been since she said it outloud in front of others. The raven haired woman gazed at Yang with her own mixture of sadness. She missed Ruby quite a bit just because they didn’t live together anymore, but her older sister missed her because to her Ruby was dead and gone forever. Blake couldn’t imagine the pain. 

“Yang, if this is too hard for you and the others then you don’t have to-”

“I want to.” Yang responded firmly. “Maybe, just maybe it would be good for us to talk about her. The whole point of meeting up in the garden on this very day is to remember her, because on this day, fifty-four months ago, she died. Since then, even thouth we meet up, we don’t talk about her.” The blonde’s breaths were becoming shaky, muscles shuddering slightly from emotional surges.

In that moment something became clear to the faunus. One of her questions finally had an answer. They mourned the anniversary of Ruby’s death monthly because yearly wasn’t enough. Ruby must’ve known this and would leave to drown her sorrows at Coco’s tavern because the day was a reminder of something she most likely just wanted to forget. Blake sighed.

“If it means that much to you, then who am I to decline?” 

“R-Really?” Yang looked shocked, not willing to believe that she had agreed.

“Of course.” Blake was suddenly enclosed in a bone-breaking bear hug that squeezed the air from her lungs.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” 

“N-No problem, Y-yang. Could you, let me go now? I-I can’t breathe.” The faunus rasped out, gasping when Yang’s tight hold released her.   
“Oh, sorry.” She scratched her blond mane sheepishly. “You uh, you know how I get.” 

“Yeah,” Blake chuckled, turning around to start walking back up the stairs, “Shall we be going? I’m sure everyone is waiting for you.” A child-like smile crept onto Yang’s face as she jogged after the raven haired faunus. They walked side by side in silence to the garden but before they exited the doors Blake asked, “Why do you all meet in the garden for this occasion?” 

“It was Ruby’s favorite place to hang out in the whole palace. She spent most of her time out there doing anything from training to reading or sleeping.” The two Huntresses exited the doors into the garden, seeing the rest of the gang sitting down around a table. 

“Yang what happened? It’s not like you to be late.” Weiss asked with a mixture of concern and worry, taking a quick glance at Blake. “What’s Blake doing here?” The other’s were waiting for the answer themselves. Taking a deep breath Yang responded.

“I want her to be here because today we’re actually going to talk about Ruby.” Everyone’s eyes shot open.

“A-Are you sure you want to do this?” Pyrrha questioned.

“It’s been over four years since we’ve talked about her Yang. I’m not sure any of us are ready.” Ren had spoken calmly despite the sadness in his eyes. 

“And we may never be ready! We all know how much she meant to us, but we can’t just let other’s know nothing about her, then she would die with us.” The blond sister snapped slightly, tears pricking her eyes.

“Darling, if you really want to do this then we’re all with you, but do you really think we can trust her with all of this? She hasn’t been here for more than a week.” Weiss replied sympathetically, but obviously didn’t like the idea of the raven haired woman participating in their personal get-together. 

“Yes, I trust her. She hasn’t done anything to suggest that we shouldn’t.” 

“But-” The Schnee was about to argue before Blake cut her off. 

“Weiss. I know that you don’t trust me, but I swear to you that you can.” Blake released a sigh. “I’ve been meaning to tell you all more about me. Mostly about the past couple years of my life and I hope you all will wait until I’m finished to say anything. Maybe after hearing this you’ll trust me. If that’s okay with all of you?” Amber eyes scanned around nervously for permission. 

“Go ahead Blake. We’re listening.” Sun nodded, waiting for Yang and the faunus to sit down to start the story. 

“I’m an ex-member of the White Fang.” Many eyes shot open as well as a few jaws going slack. The white haired Schnee wore a look of anger, but before she could say anything Yang put a hand on her shoulder, effectively halting her wife's assault. “A long time ago, maybe five years now. I joined the White Fang. They were still peaceful then. Protesters instead of murderers and I thought we could make a difference. Gain equality with humanity without having to shed blood, but then the war happened and of course everything changed then. We were killing the very people we were trying to be equal with, and I participated. The leader of the White Fang refused to let me on the battlefield, but there were a few times when human troops would break into a camp in which I was staying. They were ordered to wipe us out, they wanted to kill us so I defended myself. I fought and a few people died, but I regret it. I regret having to kill them, but I wasn’t ready to just die.” While she was telling her story, she fiddled with her hands, avoiding any eye contact with the others.

“Then one day I realized that I had had enough of the fighting, the killing. We were getting respect, but it wasn’t out of equality, it was out of fear. That wasn’t what I wanted, so I decided to leave them and go my own path. Prove to the world that not every faunus is like those of the Fang, but the leader wouldn’t let me. He caught me and locked me up in a cell. For the past year I’ve been tortured nearly to death by that bastard. He was strong enough to lock my Aura away so that I wouldn’t have enough strength to fight back against his abuse, or even heal any wounds. I have countless scars that he has inflicted. I was starved. Deprived of water and food, even sunlight.” Her teeth were clenching, hands forming fists as they lay shaking on the table. Everyone was silent, but she was sure they all had relatively the same expression. Sympathy, sadness, shock, and anger. It was the same way Ruby would look at times.

“A few months ago, before you all met me, I was able to escape in the middle of a blizzard. I was weak and cold. In short I was dieing. The storm was too much for my weak body so I collapsed, but much to good luck, someone found me and rescued me. She saved my life and I was surprised to find out that she didn’t hate the faunus. I was nursed back to health, then you all found me and offered a job, so here I am aiding Vale in the fight against the White Fang.” Finally Blake looked up, feeling Pyrrha put her hand on the faunus woman’s clenched fist. 

“That’s horrible Blake. We can’t imagine what that was like.” 

“To think that he could do that to someone of his own kind.” Jaune mumbled angrily.

“We should break his limbs and turn him into a puppet.” Nora growled menacingly to which Ren place a hand on the top of her head. 

“Down girl.” He said, failing to make the orange haired woman quiet her growling. 

“It’s all in the past now. Nothing I can do but move forward.” Blake shrugged. 

“Blake, a normal person wouldn’t be okay so soon after something like that.” Sun spoke looking at her with heavy concern. 

“I’ll admit that I’m not all there quite yet, but I’m fine. I had amazing help, but enough about me. I hope this proves to you Weiss that I wouldn’t betray you for the sake of the White Fang. I’m just a faunus who wants the fighting to end, just like the rest of you.” Amber eyes looked hopefully towards the Ice Queen, who had a strange pout on her face. “I’d really like to know more about Ruby if you’d let me.” Blue orbs observed her for a moment before letting out a reluctant sigh. 

“Fine, but if you do anything to wrong any of us. You’ll regret it.” She threatened to which the raven haired faunus smiled. 

“No doubt.” 

“So, how are we gonna do this? What do we talk about exactly?” Neptune questioned curiously. 

“How about we just talk about the first time each of us met Ruby.” The pregnant redhead suggested to which the others happily agreed. “Yang of course gets to go first.” 

“Well,” Yang started, mindlessly fiddling with her wife’s hand, “I don’t really remember much about the day she was born, I was only two then, but my earliest memory of her would have to be when she started to talk. She wasn’t really that good, just starting out with simple words like Mom and Dad. I was maybe four when she finally got enough skill to attempt saying my name. I was sitting on the floor playing with her and she suddenly just reached her arms out towards me with this huge, dopey smile on her face.” The blond sister smiled, eyes beginning to gloss slightly. “It was how she let you know she wanted a hug or to be picked up and at that age she had the sweetest voice. Before then she had never tried to say my name but out of nowhere she just said ‘Huggy huggy, Yane! I wan’ huggy!’” When she tried to imitate the way Ruby had spoken at such a young age her voice cracked and a tear rolled down her cheek. The others smiled at the thought of a Ruby as an innocent little toddler. Even Blake wore a smile, chuckling at the thought herself. “Ruby was just so cute when she said my name wrong, and it would make me so happy to hear her say it to me every day. Dust, I miss her so much.” Yang sniffled, holding back the sobs as she leaned onto the table. Weiss reached over to rub her lover’s back, planting a comforting kiss on her temple. “I’m done, go on ahead.” 

“I guess I’ll go.” Weiss sighed. “It was the first day of initiation to Beacon Huntress Training. She had fallen on my luggage, knocking it everywhere. I was so angry at her for making a mess and not being careful. She was lucky she hadn’t hit the dust crate so hard or else there would have been a huge explosion.” 

“If I remember correctly, there  _ was _ an explosion.” Jaune commented only to have the Schnee glare at him while the others let out amused chuckles.

“Quiet you.” The white clad woman glared at the blond man before returning to her story. “She looked so nervous when I yelled at her. I shook some dust around in her face and she sneezed. That dolt made the both of us blow up. Sure I was mad at her, but little did I know she would become the first real friend I ever had.” A large smile spread across her face as she held back unshed tears, looking lovingly at her brawler of a wife. “Then she forced Yang and I to admit our feelings each other, Ruby brought the love of my life to me.” Lilac and ice blue orbs locked, gazing at each other with all the love they could possibly generate. The corners of Yang’s lips twitched upward a little as she leaned forward to meet her lover’s mouth in a chaste kiss.

Blake couldn’t help but smile at the two women who were so in love. It looked so nice, to have that special someone who would always be there for you no matter the circumstances. Love wasn’t a very familiar concept to Blake due to the ways of the White Fang, but the reading she’s done has given her a desire to see what it’s like. To feel something so cosmic and fulfilling. Hell, if the Ice Queen could find love, the raven haired faunus could too, right? 

“I love you.” Yang whispered when the kiss ended. 

“I love you, too.” The Schnee responded.

“I guess I’ll go next.” Jaune scratched at the stubble growing on his face gaining everyone’s attention. “I met Ruby the same day Weiss met her. She had just fallen to the ground, all the wind blown from her sails thanks to the Ice Queen.” Said woman growled slightly. “I helped her up and the first thing she did was laugh at me and ask ‘Aren’t you the guy who threw up on the ship?’.” The group laughed. “It was nice to meet someone that excitable and quirky on my first day. I had been so nervous, but Ruby made all that disappear. Crater face really knew how to make a person forget about their worries.”

“Oh, oh! I wanna go next!” Nora raised her hand enthusiastically to ask permission for next turn. 

“Go ahead Nora.” Ren smirked at his soon to be wife who settled calmly back into her seat to begin her story. 

“I knew who she was for a while, but I didn’t really talk to her until one day during a fight my armour came apart almost completely and my warhammer had broken in two. I didn’t know much about forging anything back then, especially not weapons or armors and I couldn’t afford new ones. Ruby realized that I was having a dilemma and before I knew it she was dragging me off to a forge. I may be one of the best blacksmiths in Vale, but I got all my tips from her. Ruby helped me rebuild my armour and hammer, and she even bought the materials herself so i wouldn’t have to give up some of my savings. Ren and I’s parents died before we came to Beacon so we weren’t very well off in the financial department, but Ruby helped me out and I wish…” The woman trailed off failing to keep her tears at bay, allowing them to fall freely down her face as she sobbed. “I wish I could show her how much I’ve done thanks to her. Without her help I wouldn’t own my smithing shop, I wouldn’t be able to fix my armour on my own.” Nora’s sobs wracked her entire body making everyone else lose the strength to keep their emotions in check. It was rare to see the woman so serious so it hit everyone pretty hard, especially Yang. Blake herself even let a few tears slip. Ruby had left so much behind, and everyone was suffering still from her ‘loss’. Nora covered her face with her hands as Ren wrapped his arms around her, pulling the woman close to his chest. 

“The first time I met Ruby was when she needed help with Aura combat. She didn’t know how to harness all that power and channel it through her body, so Lord Ozpin left it to me to help her. Ruby was such a quick learner, it took her less than a few hours to get the hang of it.” Ren was speaking now. “At first I thought she would just act like a child and not pay attention, but she hung on every word I said, taking it in. Sure she was a free spirit outside of combat, but when it really mattered she knew when it was time to be serious, and I respected her for that.” Sun leaned over to prop his head in his hands.

“One day, a year before she...ya know, Cardin and his gang of assholes cornered me and Velvet. They started picking a fight, calling us scum and freaks for being faunus, making insane accusations that we were White Fang spies. Velvet wasn’t feeling well so she wouldn’t have been able to fight so well, leaving me to defend her. They drew on us but before any of them could move and inch, Ruby was there standing in the middle of us all. She used her authoritative voice to scare Cardin and his goons off, forcing them on stable duty. Ruby showed concern for Velvet, treating her like she wasn’t different, and she told us not to give up on humanity, that one day the faunus and humans would live together in peace. That people like Cardin and his friends would get what's coming to them someday. Ruby loved just about everyone regardless of where they were from, how old they were, or if they were of faunus heritage or liked the same gender. I had never met a person like her before, I’m glad I did, but I would have liked to have spent more time with her before everything went down.” He sighed, lowering his head slightly before looking over at Neptune. “What about you Nep?” 

“I knew her less than all of you but she was cool. Being me I get rejected a lot and sometimes it does hurt. I was a bit down one day and Ruby out of nowhere came up to talk to me. She asked if I wanted to talk about what was bothering me and I was actually willing to confide in her. Ruby told me that I shouldn’t give up because some women are just not interested, that one day without even realizing it I’ll find a girl who actually says yes. She did tell me to tone it down though, to not over exaggerate or show off too much confidence because sometimes a girl likes to see a guy who can show humility and be humble. I never really thanked her for the tip, but after that I realized that she was right. Sure I’ll joke around, but I know how to act when I want to be serious and want to be taken seriously.” Neptune ran his fingers through his blue hair, releasing a long breath. 

“I never knew where Ruby got all that knowledge about romance. She just never seemed that interested spending most of her time fighting instead of being a girl and going out to find that special someone.” Yang shook her head, voice hoarse from weeping.

“Not sure where she got all that wise stuff from either, being two years younger than all of us how could she be that grounded?” 

“She was special.” Pyrrha croaked, tears running down her cheeks still. Her pregnancy had turned her into a wreck of emotions at times, but the others didn’t mind. “I first met Ruby when we were paired up as sparring partners, we got to know each other’s fighting styles inside and out. During that time we talked and one day she realized that I had feelings for Jaune, but didn’t want to tell him because of his infatuation with Weiss. She let me talk to her about it all, how everyone had put me on that pedestal, but believed I was on a whole different level. Ruby had said ‘It doesn’t matter to me if you're on the damn throne or a homeless person on the streets, you still have the same value as a person and Jaune knows that. He’s still your friend as well as Ren and Nora because they see the person you are on the inside first, and the fighter you are on the outside second. If you can tell Jaune to be honest about his feelings for Weiss, then I’m telling you to be honest with your feelings for Jaune. Trust me’.” Her husband pulled her into his embrace, stroking her hair in a pitiful attempt to ease the love of his life. “I did trust her and it brought me so much closer to the man I love and to the man I started a family with.” The redheads sobs began to grow as she placed a hand on her slowly growing stomach. “It hurts so much knowing, that Sky and this baby won’t ever get to know their Aunt Ruby, ever feel the unique affection that she gives. We all have such wonderful memories of her, but our children never will!”  

The raven haired faunus could almost feel her heartbreak in her chest. That had certainly ripped at her heart strings. If she were a child and knew Ruby had excited she would definitely want her in her life. Blake could barely stand being this far from the raven-red head, knowing that she could be sleeping the night away next to her comforting warmth only to wake up and realize she was alone in bed. These children would most definitely be missing out, growing up only hearing stories about her instead of actually knowing Ruby Rose as their Aunt. 

“Shh, love, it’s okay…” The Arc whispered into the distressed woman’s ear, doing little to help.

“We wish so badly that we could go back! Do things differently, then maybe, just maybe she’d still be here with us!” Pyrrha’s cries only grew louder as Yang too began dissolving into her own misery. 

“Forgive us Ruby! We’re so sorry! We’d give anything to make things right again!” Her body shook fiercely from the intensity of her cries, burying her face into her hands. “I’m so sorry Sis!”

“I think it would be best if we retired for the night.” Ren rasped over the women who were sobbing loudly. The majority agreed and stood from their seats, Blake not far behind. 

“C’mon Pyrrha let’s get you to bed.” Jaune cooed sweetly leading his wife towards the entrance to the Beacon castle, Weiss and Yang in tow. Sun gave the feline faunus a hug that she half heartedly returned. 

“Thanks for being here, Blake. It means a lot to me. To all of us for you to listen to the things we have to say.” He thanked, giving her shoulders a small squeeze. 

“It was my pleasure. I like stories even if they aren’t on paper.” She gave her childhood friend her best smile. She was honestly happy to hear all the wonderful memories that they had of the ex-Huntress who saved her life, it warmed her heart. The monkey faunus didn’t say anything more, turning to take his leave. Amber eyes looked over to the remaining couple that had yet to leave. Ren made eye contact with her for a moment, sending Nora on by herself into the castle. 

“I’ll meet you inside, Nora.” The woman only nodded, walking off while hugging herself. Pink eyes looked over at her. “I want to thank you Blake. Our family hasn’t been able to talk about her like that in years. I think that you revealing something so personal about yourself made it easier for us to express our feelings, to let out what we’ve been holding in which is very unhealthy. Now, maybe our healing will progress faster than before.” 

“It was nothing really. I should be thanking all of you for trusting and accepting me, it’s more than I can say about other humans. It makes me feel welcome and I want you all to be comfortable with me. Not to mention I get to hear about what sounds like such an amazing person who you all cared about.” Blake gave the man a small bow.

“I’m sure now, you’ll be hearing a lot more of our adventures with Ruby Rose. Now, I must retire. Until next time Blake.” Ren bowed, turning to leave the garden. 

When Blake was finally alone she let herself take in a deep breath. She had learnt more about Ruby from the point of view of others that were considered family to her. All the stories really sounded like her, made it seem like not much about the raven-red head had changed over the four years. A small part of Blake almost wanted to tell them about Ruby, but she didn’t want to risk putting her savior in any danger so she kept it to herself. 

It was dark out, but the night air was pleasant to the skin. The sky was a dark blue so much so that it almost looked black, but there were white dots scattered all around, giving the dark mass some character. The faunus just stood in her spot gazing up at the starry sky, wondering what Ruby was doing. She was most likely drinking at Coco’s tavern trying to forget the pain of this day or she was sitting at home cuddling Zwei while consumed by her thoughts.  _ No use wondering when I won’t be answered... _ Blake sighed, feeling a breeze hit her back. When she began to inhale a scent hit her nose. 

This wasn’t just any scent, it was a familiar scent, one that she had spent many nights filling her lungs with. A scent so sweet it made any tension in her body disappear into thin air. It was the distinct smell of roses, not wild grown, not planted. This rose scent was natural coming with the smell of burning hickory. It smelt like home. Like Ruby. 

She was upwind so that meant the source of the smell was behind her. Turning around swiftly, causing her hair to flow around, her amber eyes found a large blossom tree near bloom. Branches full of leaves and buds so thick that you couldn’t see any branch. Eye narrowed as she drew closer out of curiosity. Only before she could take more than a few steps there was a large gust a wind that rustled the tree harshly, knocking some leaves loose from the branches.  

Through the dark though Blake spotted what she thought was a leaf, but it’s color was different. It was a crimson red petal, fluttering down until it landed in the grass, slowly dissolving into the air. The smell had disappeared as well, leaving only the aroma of different flowers that littered the garden.  _ Ruby? _ Her mind thought in questioning.

“Miss Belladonna.” Wiping around Blake was face to face with Lord Ozpin who casually sipped on a cup of tea with his cane in his free hand. “Do you have a minute before you retire for the night? I have something I wish to show you.” 

“Of course, Ozpin.” She answered respectfully. 

“Wonderful.” The Lord smirked, turning on his heel. “Follow me.” Silently Blake obeyed. 

They walked through the castle for many moments in silence until Blake realized that they were entering an area of the palace that she had yet to explore. The silver haired man stopped at the entrance to a very long hallway with a dead end. Along the left wall were many paintings of of different individuals, standing in the same pose. Next to each painting was a large display case with different sets of armour on display. Blake assumed that each suit of armour belonged to a person on the wall. “This is the Hall of Knight-Captains. Those who stood as the right hand of all the previous Lords of Vale. Some died of sacrifice for the safety of the kingdom, others retired to allow a new soul to take their place. Since you don’t know much on the history of Vale, why not know who some of the previous Knight-Captains were?” Ozpin began to walk down the hall, occasionally taking of sip of his hot beverage as the faunus followed silently taking in her surroundings. Amber eyes admired the different varieties of armour on display.

“You have their armour still?” Blake asked.

“Yes, their battle issue anyway. These pieces were used in serious disputes like the War Between Nations. Every Knight-Captain is required to have a custom made suit of armour in case of emergencies. Other Hunters aren’t required to have such apparel, they can wear whatever it is that they desire, but put a person that is in such a position of power in something intimidating and it’ll make a statement. It was about the image.”

“I see.” Blake said just as the man stopped to look at one of the last few paintings on the wall. It was of a woman with dark hair, with dusty white ends. It shocked Blake to see that she had silver eyes much like Ruby’s own. She wore a white hood with red on the inside. “Who is she?” 

“That is Summer Rose. Ruby’s blood mother and the woman who raised Yang like one of her own. She was an amazing woman, flawless in combat. Unfortunately though when the girls were still young Summer went on an away mission and never returned.” Blake observed the armour in the display case. The color scheme consisted of black and white. Each piece of metal armour had smooth rounded edges, giving it a far less scary look. The headpiece was covered up by the white and red hood that was up over the head. There were simple black designs engraved into the steel spanning from the top of the left thick all the way up to the white shoulder, covering most of the chestplate. 

“Qrow Branwen took her place. He is Yang’s blood uncle, but Ruby’s uncle by family friend. For a long time I had known him and he served me well until he decided to step down from his position.” The next painting was of a mid-thirties man with semi-spiky salt and pepper hair. His eyes were a dark maroon matching the color of a small tattered cape that flowed behind him. “Nowadays he just drinks his life away, spending almost everyday drunk.” The armour near his picture reminded the faunus of and actual crow. The cape was made from large black feathers, the steel colored black with small feather-like details all over. 

“After him was our most recent Knight-Captain before Cardin Winchester. Sure her reputation has a rather large blemish, but that doesn’t stop her from being a Grimm Reaper Prodigy. Unfortunately, her life was lost merely four years ago after being convicted of a nearly historic massacre.” Amber eyes looked upon the painting, but as soon as she registered the person she was looking at time had seemed to freeze. That all too familiar face painted and hung on the wall.  _ What? Th-This can’t be right… _ “This is Knight-Captain Ruby Rose.”    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this is a pretty long one! I'm just glad I finished it! Hope you guys enjoy it and I enjoy all of the feedback I'm getting! Thanks and keep reading!!!


	11. Chapter 11

Ruby’s eyes snapped open, squinting when sunlight pierced her pupils. Letting out a groan she decided to sit up and rub at her eyes. She was still tired even though she had slept, but the dreams were coming back to her now that Blake was no longer there to keep them away. Before the faunus had come along Ruby had been plagued with dreams about those horrific times. The raven-red head had attempted to rest while traveling around to find Adam, but never felt like she had slept at all upon waking up the next morning. Throughout the entire week she couldn’t get any of those White Fang members to give up the man’s location. She had to give it to them though, they were loyal to their own. 

With a large sigh Ruby got out of bed, giving a still slumbering Zwei an affectionate pat to the head before standing up. Her body swayed slightly upon getting to her feet, but she ignored it and looked around the room. Silver eyes landed on the dagger that lay on her desk. Picking it up she twirled the blade around in her hand for a moment. Then she gripped the hilt pointing the blade toward her chest and ever so slowly brought it closer to her skin. This was the blade she had almost used to end her life that night in the blizzard when she found Blake. Silver eyes closed as the blade was put down, returning to its place on the desk. Next to the dagger was Blake’s letter that Ruby had read many times already. At the thought of the raven haired faunus Ruby smiled. 

She knew that soon Blake would come up for a visit wanting to know the truth and that scared the woman. How could she talk about that day and not break down in front of her friend? That she was out there to end her own life and almost succeeded. Ruby was definitely not prepared for that conversation, but the faunus was still unaware of her true identity, for now anyway. 

A small bark reached her ears prompting silver eyes to look over at the awakening furry creature that was currently stretching on her bed. Ruby smiled at the canine. “Well good morning sunshine!” She spoke in a cheery tone. “It’s so nice of you to join me!” Zwei huffed, attempting to bury his face under one of the pillows. “Aw, looks like someone is still tired.” The woman flopped down on her bed and cuddled the corgi toward her. “Yeah, I’m pretty tired myself pal, but I need to continue working on the expansion. Just a little more work and we can do whatever we want with the inside later.” Ruby knew that the canine probably wasn’t listening to her, but she didn’t care. She mindlessly scratched behind his ears for a few minutes before reluctantly getting up and properly dressing herself. Afterall, she was only clad in some breeches and chest bindings. 

After putting on a simple white tunic and boots the raven-red head went outside to finish to roof which still wasn’t done. Easily the woman jumped on top and began to work. She didn’t really think that much when focusing on a task, it was like her mind went blank and all she could do was focus on the task at hand, no other thoughts. Before she knew it she was done and only a few hours had passed. Ruby would think about how the exact same thing would happen on the battlefield, there was nothing but her and her opponent’s movement occupying her thoughts. Part of her missed the fighting, the adrenaline, but she supposed she was comfortable enough with this more laid back life. 

When Ruby hopped down from the now finished addition to her home the sound of hoof falls could be heard making her turn around to see who was approaching even thought she could feel who it was without seeing them. It was Blake much to the woman’s surprise. The raven haired faunus rode up on her horse looking a bit peeved as she dismounted the animal. Ruby smiled before walking over to her friend. “Blake! What are you doing here so early? I only got your letter last night and thought it would be a few days before you came up to visit. Not that I’m not happy you’re here-” She halted when Blake glared at her. Confused she asked, “What? Are you really that mad that I didn’t tell you the real story about how she died?” Blake glared harder at Ruby while releasing a sigh. 

“We need to talk,  _ now _ .” The faunus nearly growled at the younger woman, stalking off into the cabin. Ruby didn’t even have time to react, but followed behind the faunus into her home. When she entered a small smile graced her lips upon seeing that Zwei was happy to see the feline faunus again even though he was returned two days before. 

“Sure we can talk, Blake. Would you like something to drink? Let me guess, tea, right?” Ruby was trying to lighten the mood while she poured her friend a cup of tea. Blake didn’t respond, but quietly took the tea and sipped it as she sat on the edge of the bed. Ruby sat in her usual spot, the desk chair and curiously gazed at the faunus. “So-”

“Why did you  _ lie _ to me!?” Blake growled loudly with rage nearly shocking the ex-Huntress out of her seat. 

“What do you mean?” Ruby was getting nervous, not understanding the question. 

“Ozpin showed me the Hall of Knight-Captains last night.” Ruby’s face almost instantly paled, throat going dry. “Low and behold there’s a painting of you on the wall! You are  _ her _ and you didn’t tell me!” 

“So, you know the truth now.” The younger woman looked down with both shame and pain as she whispered the comment. 

“Why did you lie to me Ruby?” Blake asked sternly, not letting up her glare. 

“It’s not something I like to talk about. Who would? I was blamed for the massacre of innocent faunus orphans, was sentenced to death, escaped, and ran off. Think about it Blake, you’re a faunus that was only beginning to know me and you were a Fang. I could only assume your reaction would be less than desirable if I were to tell you the whole truth.” Ruby sighed, slouching in her chair as Blake’s glare slowly softened.

“I suppose that’s a valid assumption.” Blake mumbled, looking down into her tea. 

“I’ve been given enough hate from other faunus and I saw you as a friend and I couldn’t lose another one to the truth.” 

“Why did you write the book like you and the Knight-Captain were two different people?” 

“Because they’re two different parts of me. On one hand I’m Ruby Rose, and on the other I’m the Knight-Captain. I felt like two different people and not  _ me _ . Everyone I ever met only saw me for one or the other. Not Ruby Rose the Knight-Captain.” Ruby sighed, leaning forward to put her face in her hands, slowly she was beginning to tear up. “My life has just been so fucked, Blake.” 

“Tell me everything Ruby. I want to hear you say it, all the way to where you,” The faunus paused, “tried to end it all.” There was a familiar pang in her chest, her heart ached at the thought of someone who seemed so put together most of the time would feel so low.

“When I found out I could use my Aura, my dad started training me non-stop. After my mother’s death he wasn’t all there and he was pushing me to the extreme to make me stronger, to make me like my mother. I always did what he said, training day in and day out. Then when I was old enough I signed up for Huntress training with my sister. Ozpin let me in early seeing as I was already skilled in fighting. I worked for three straight years to be the best I could be. Little did I know that my Uncle would step down as Knight-Captain and Ozpin would choose me to take his place. The job came easy to me, like it was in my nature. I was respected and I protected people like I had always wanted to do, but that fateful day everything changed. Can you imagine it? Waking up covered in blood and guts from innocent lives that had never even begun to live? Seeing their bodies as nothing but a mushy pulp?” Tears slipped from her eyes as it became harder to talk and she refused to face Blake who sat and listened quietly, taking in everything. 

“All the people I had ever trusted turned their backs on me. They didn’t believe that I was innocent. The job had been getting stressful before the incident and I was always moody and starting fights, so I guess that helped in making them believe that I had just snapped in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lord Ozpin, the man who had trusted me with his life threw me in the dungeon and agreed that I should be put to death. I sat in a cell for days before I got the news, each second felt like an eternity and I was struggling just to feel anything. My skin was still crawling from how disgusting it felt to have all that carnage caked on my body. It was driving me insane.” Ruby gripped at her hair, tugging on it slightly with her eyes clenched. 

“My memory isn’t exactly that clear after that, I just remember losing it and busting out. Then I was on the cliff when Emerald showed up with those two others. I’m sure they wanted something from me but I wasn’t sure what. I got shot with an arrow and it  _ burned _ like fire, then I fell. They must’ve thought that the fall had killed me if the arrow hadn’t. It was-I just-I don't understand why that happened.” 

“It’s okay, go on Ruby. I’m still listening.” Blake’s voice soothed the raven-red head, making it easier to speak and think clearly. 

“I woke up fine, alive anyway and realized that I had nothing, no life. I was completely on my own and all the things that I loved from my previous life were gone and I couldn’t go back. So, I made myself a new one, where nobody would find me. Up here in Mountain Glenn where barely anyone comes for any crazy reason. Team CFVY found me one day and they smoothed things over with me and they swore not reveal anything to anyone. That was a real comfort, it was nice to have familiar people to be there for me and one day I found Zwei. A little helpless pup on the streets struggling to make it. I took him in and I wasn’t as lonely anymore, I wasn’t by myself, but some things only go so far. Writing the book helped you know, like a diary I had someplace to put all my feelings down. All the pain from that day, how crushed I was never changed and it just got heavier and heavier everyday until finally I was gonna end it, that day was the last I had written in the book.” Ruby was steadily crying now, curling closer into herself. Blake looked at her friend sadly.  

“What stopped you?” 

“That was the night I found you, Blake. If I hadn’t of seen you laying in the snow we both wouldn’t be here right now. All my life I wanted to help people and I couldn’t just let you lay there and die like some animal. With you around I had another reason to live and I realized I wouldn’t be helping anybody by killing myself. You needed me and Zwei would have nowhere to go. Team CFVY would be upset with themselves for not realizing sooner that I was in such a dark place.” Ruby’s sobs were small and quiet, but Blake could hear them just fine and laid a hand on top of the younger woman’s head. She ran her fingers through the raven-red hair for a few moments before standing up. Blake pushed Ruby back until she was sitting up straight. Tears ran down her cheeks as she attempted to rub them away from her silver eyes. 

The faunus wrapped her arms around Ruby and pulled her into her chest, petting her head and letting her cry into her bosom. The ex-Huntress’s strong arms held Blake tightly as she let it all out, trying her best to calm down, but it was too much for her to handle. The faunus felt pain in her chest, such a nice person had gone through such horrific situations at a rather young age. When Blake first saw Ruby she saw someone who was strong and put together, but after learning who the  _ real _ Ruby Rose was she realized that the woman had a vulnerable side. A side that wanted nothing more than to have someone to talk to about her hard times. “I’m getting your tunic all wet…” The raven-red head mumbled, breaking Blake away from her thoughts. 

“That’s okay.” She whispered into the younger woman’s hair, still running her fingers through the silky threads. Ruby’s breaths were short, but for the most part she was calming down. The grip on Blake’s waist tightened.

“Do you,” There was hesitation, “ _ hate  _ me now that you know everything?” 

“No Ruby, I don’t hate you.” The faunus sighed. “I can’t imagine that you would ever hurt an innocent person on purpose. Only someone without a heart could hurt children and if you didn’t have one you wouldn’t have saved me that night. I don’t hate you, I  _ believe _ you. I won’t let them find you because we know what would happen.” A choked sob escaped Ruby, but she smiled and let go of the faunus to wipe her face clean of tears. 

“Thank you.” She smiled at Blake as she rubbed one of her silver eyes. 

“You’re my friend Ruby. I trusted you with my life and I doubt anything could shake that trust.” Amber eyes gleamed as she grinned at her raven-red headed friend. 

“So, all the serious talk aside. How long are you going to be staying?” Before the faunus answered she sat back down with her tea in hand. 

“I’m going to be spending the night. If that’s okay with you?” Uncertainty hit her when she spoke, but it was instantly washed away by Ruby’s big, bright smile. 

“Of course, Blake! I don’t mind at all! I’m sure Zwei has missed you, even though it’s only been two days.” Said corgi groggily got up and shuffled his way to the feline faunus’ lap. With a chuckle she ran her hand along his spine. “He’s been insanely tired since he got back.” 

“I know. Whenever I was busy Sky played with him. They wore each other out playing fetch.” Blake explained, smiling at the canine who was again, fast asleep. Ruby looked up curiously upon hearing the young boy’s name. 

“Sky? Pyrrha and Jaune’s boy?” 

“Yeah. How do you know that?” 

“Team CFVY keeps me informed.” Ruby shrugged, looking away while scratching the back of her neck. “How is Pyrrha doing? Her and the baby are still healthy right?” 

“The gang makes sure that she’s alright. She doesn’t fight anymore and Jaune has her drinking herbal juice that Ren makes. She hates it, but drinks it nonetheless.” 

“Ren did make some weird tasting stuff. It helped me out though. Gave me energy and made gaining muscle mass a lot easier. Did you know that he makes herbal medicines too?” Ruby asked the raven haired woman who simply shook her head. 

“No, I didn’t.” 

“Yeah! That stuff works wonders for many open wounds, provided they get stitched up first.” Silver eyes turned sad much to Blake’s shock. “How is Yang?”   
“She’s alright. She doesn’t get much sleep some nights and I assume that it has something to do with you. It’s hard for her to talk about you, but she did tell us a story about when you first started saying her name.” 

“Oh yeah? That brings back memories. You know, after my mother died Yang kinda stepped in and cared for me. Dad wasn’t all there and he would take any jobs that he could for a while so Yang and I spent a lot of time together. Yeah, right now I’m a little bitter about how she treated me, but more than anything, I just miss my big sister.” There was a long moment of silence. “Um, are you going on any jobs soon? I’m sure by now you’re eligible to take some.” The faunus twitched as if remembering something. 

“That’s right! Ozpin gave us an assignment. The whole group, excluding Pyrrha of course. We’re leaving tomorrow night to check how well the outposts are doing. After that we have an extermination job. He said that it would take us at least three weeks to complete, that’s one of the reason’s why I came here so early. I wanted to see you before I left.” 

“Three weeks?” Ruby’s expression changed to one of distaste. “That long?” 

“Yeah, he wants us to get it all done in time for the Ball.” Ruby nodded in understanding. 

“Got to get a lot of things done before anyone is comfortable enough to go to the Vytal Ball and in no time there will be the Festival, but I’m not comfortable with you going out for so long.” Blake looked at the woman with a quirked brow. 

“Why not? I’m strong enough and I have the group looking out for me. I look out for them too.” There was a defensive tone in the faunus’ voice. Ruby put her hands up in surrender, shrugging her shoulders. 

“Blake, I care about you, a lot. I just don’t trust anyone with you, besides myself because I know without a doubt that you would be safe with me, but the others? They may not make it to you in time if you got in a pinch.” The ex-Huntress explained, poking her pointer fingers together a few times before rubbing at her neck making the older woman sigh with a smile on her lips. 

“I know you care Ruby and it means a lot, but I’ll be fine. I promise you that.” To Blake’s surprise Ruby jut out her bottom lip in a pout. 

“Fine…” She sighed reluctantly, silver eyes looking down at her boots. It was childish the way she was acting but the faunus thought it was cute in it’s own way. She laughed at the younger woman. Reaching her hand out she pet the top of Ruby’s head.

“Good girl.” 

“ _ Blake _ …” The raven-red head whined, ending it with a huff. With how childish she was behaving Blake had to wonder how in all the Remnant she was the Knight-Captain. That kind of position took the right amount of poise and aggression that she had yet to see from her friend. 

“Ruby?”

“Hm?” 

“How are you so  _ okay _ right now?” Blake drank from her cooling tea. 

“Well, I’ve had four years to think about what I’ve been through. I suppose that by now my mind has found some way to block it out. When I talk about it, I still hardly feel much, but my body has a mind of it’s own at times.” Ruby’s shoulders shrugged nonchalantly.

“That hardly sounds healthy.” Raven brows furrowed.

“Probably not.” Ruby stood up with a chuckle as she walked over to her kitchen. “You hungry? I can make something if you’d like. I personally haven’t eaten since I got up.” It was obvious that she wasn’t comfortable talking about the subject so Blake let it go. 

“Sure, I could eat something and a fresh cup of tea would be great.”

“You got it.” 

 

><><><><><><><

 

“Roman.” Cinder’s voice was cold, meaning she was most definitely unsatisfied. 

“Oh! Well hello Gorgeous, since when did you get here?” The orange haired man asked after whipping around from his position against the table with a map of Vale. 

“That’s not important. We need to search for another candidate as soon as possible.” His face turned blank taking his cigar from his mouth to exhale smog. 

“I thought you said the Nekos boy was our candidate?”

“It appears that we were wrong, otherwise the boy would be in my hands.” She scowled. 

“Nekos is with child again, maybe this one will have what we’re looking for.” He suggested, twirling his cane around in the air. 

“Yes, but it’ll be months before the child is born. Waiting would set our plans back by months and for now will be part of a just-in-case scenario if we find no others beforehand.”

“What is it you want with this person? Provided that we find them of course. You said silver eyes are very hard to come by and we’ve only checked Vale, they could be anywhere in Remnant.” 

“That doesn’t concern you Roman, just find what I’m looking for or I’ll find help somewhere else.” He threw his hands up. 

“Now, now! Lets not be hasty, I’ve got all the men I can searching under every nook a craney in Vale. If they’re here, we’ll find them.” A small smile grew on her lips. 

“Good, that’s what I like to hear. I’m going away for a few days and I’ll be leaving Emerald and Mercury here to make sure you’re not slacking off.” Cinder looked behind her as the two people emerged from the shadows. 

“Great.” Roman muttered in distaste, placing his cigar between his lips and puffing. 

“I hope you will get along, that would make things go a little smoother. I’ll be back before the end of the week.” Turning the raven haired woman walked off. There was nothing but silence between the bowler hat man and Cinder’s two lackeys. 

 

><><><><><><><

 

“Sun, if you like Blake so much why not ask her out? You know what they say ‘the worst thing she can do is say ‘no’’.” Yang urged as her and the monkey faunus walked through the garden. He had asked Yang for advice since she was more experienced in the world of romance and he wasn’t sure what he should do. 

“But if she says no it could make things weird between us! I don’t want that!” Sun griped his hair in frustration. 

“It won’t be weird if you don’t make it! You’re good friends and good friends don’t let a little thing like this get between them. Just ask her. I see Blake reading all the time, maybe get her a book as a conversation starter and ease your way into asking her out for a nice dinner or even a walk. Something simple and typical.” The blond man sighed, scratching at his neck. 

“But what would we even talk about?” 

“Anything that comes up. Talk to her about her books, talk about interesting topics for the both of you, maybe even fighting techniques.” Yang explained, trying her best to help her friend. 

“I don’t even think she likes me in a romantic way though. She’s got this friend that she talks about, the one who saved her?” He looked at Yang to make sure she understood who he was talking about only continuing when she gave him a nod. “Whenever Blake talks about them she just seems so happy. Maybe my feelings are just one-sided.” 

“Then ask her if she likes anyone, tell her the truth. That you like her and would like to date, maybe even be exclusive, but make sure to ask if she likes that friend or not. Don’t be afraid to rule out all the possibilities. Just man up.” The brawler punched the faunus’ shoulder making him wince playfully. He truly did like Blake, ever since they became friends at the orphanage he’s felt this way. More than anything though he valued their friendship and he didn’t want to do  _ anything _ to ruin it. He sighed heavily, shoulders slumping and scuffing his feet against the cobblestone path. 

“Sure, I’ll try, but don’t expect me to do it so soon. I want to think this out.” 

“That’s a first.” Yang snorted making the monkey faunus look at her with a smile. 

“Hey, I think plenty.” He was slightly offended. 

“That’s dangerous too.” She laughed as he pushed her away good naturedly. 

“Shut up.” 

 

><><><><><><><

 

Ozpin sat at his desk reading one of the many pages to a book that had long since occupied his desk. He had read it many times by now that he had lost count and remembered it almost to the word. The pages were worn with age but the silver cover shined like a brand new coin. With a sigh the Lord closed the reading material, staring at the cover for a few seconds before taking a hold of his cane and standing up from his spot while taking his cup of steaming coffee into his free hand. Turning around he stepped out onto the balcony letting the cool night air caress his skin. His lungs breathed in the fresh air, relaxing his being into a state of calm.

Down below he could see the city, speckled by the lamps that lit the streets and candlelight that shown through some household windows. His entire life he has looked over this city, leading it as their Lord, but it was his home too. Ozpin was getting older in age, but everytime he looked out at the city of Vale, it made his soul feel young like in his childhood. The memories here were many and of course not all were good, but they were what made him who he was. He had met Glynda here, as well as the members of the long since disbanded Team STRQ. 

Looking up at the sky, the silver haired man sighed.  _ Summer, what would you have done with Ruby? How would you have done it?  _ He knew his questions wouldn’t be answered, she was gone and Taiyang had nearly lost his mind so he would’ve been no help. Raven had disappeared for nearly twenty years after she gave birth to Yang, so she knew nothing about Ruby. Yang wouldn’t have had any clue either, so it was up to him to do  _ something _ , but did he do the right thing?

A hand landed on his shoulder making his bronze eyes lock with the owner of said hand. A grin appeared on Ozpin lips when he saw Glynda standing there with her usual passive expression. “It’s late.” She spoke softly. “Come to bed.” Taking a breath in Ozpin took another look at the city and the starry sky before turning back to the beautiful woman next him. He sighed. 

“Alright.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter for you guys, wow it took me nearly two weeks to get this out, but hey, at least I didn't give up. You know would be really cool? Fan art of this, that would be amazing! Anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter! Comment it keeps me motivated!!!


	12. Chapter 12

A dusty, middle-aged man sat on a stool at the bar, drinking away at a tankard of rum. To be exact his seventh tankard of rum. This is what his life was reduced to, drinking, sleeping, and more drinking. Being a previous Knight-Captain meant little to nothing to him anymore, too much shit was piling up on him. He drank to forget and he slept to go somewhere else for a while, but you had to wake up and be sober at some point. When that happened it all came to him at once, like having an entire house fall on top of you. 

He growled, taking a swig before slamming the container back onto the bar-top making the contents slosh out. The other patrons to the tavern paid him no mind, he was invisible to them while they had their own fun leaving him in his own solitary bubble. When he emptied the cup he motioned for Coco to come back over. “Another one for ya, Qrow?” She asked even if she already knew the answer.

“Do you have to ask?” Qrow slurred, swirling his head around. 

“I guess not.” The brunette woman laughed to herself, pouring until his tankard was once again full. “Welcome back to Vale, old man. Where ya been?” 

“Around and don’t call me ‘old man’.” He scowled at the woman who shook her head at him. The doors to the tavern opened to reveal that Raven had entered the establishment. Coco motioned her head at the woman, giving Qrow a warning. 

“Your sister is here. Looks like somebody is going home.” She walked away as the raven haired woman approached her brother who turned to gaze at her. 

“Ah my dear sister. Is it past my curfew?” The man joked, drinking his liquor. Raven scowled, red eyes hardening considerably. 

“I’m sure by now you’ve had enough. It’s late Qrow and you need to be awake so you can meet with Ozpin tomorrow.” 

“Right…” Qrow paused. “How’s the bonding going with Yang?” 

“Fine.” Raven sighed. “It’s not easy at all. There is a lot she won’t talk about because, well, because of Ruby.” Qrow growled at the name. 

“She’s dead. She’ll get over it.” 

“Like you got over Summer?” His sister crossed her arms challengingly. 

“Don’t start, Raven.” Qrow threatened before standing up. The woman let the subject go, uncrossing her arms and letting out a small sigh as he relaxed his tense body and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Let’s just get out of here.” The two siblings walked out of the tavern side by side. 

“You know, now that I’m actually acting like a mother for Yang I regret leaving. There is so much that I missed. The first words, losing her first tooth, learning to walk, finding her semblance, and I never even helped train her to be the fighter she is now. I wish I could go back and watch her grow up, you know? Actually be there?” Maroon eyes cast down as he nodded knowingly. 

“We all wish we could go back and do things differently, but the cold truth is that what happened in the past can’t be undone. So, we have to live with the choices we’ve made. The best thing you can do now is be there with her for the rest of your life, or hers. The world is unpredictable you never know when it’ll be the last time you see them.” His sister looked at him with sympathy. Knowing that he was talking about Summer and how her death was unexpected. 

“Tai got the worst of it all though. I ran off, then he lost Summer, then he lost Ruby. I can’t imagine.” The pain of guilt rose into the raven haired Branwen’s chest.

“At least you came back, he still has Yang too.” 

“We’re not much help though. He’s still so,” Raven struggled to find the right word, “unresponsive. Ruby must’ve been the last blow.” Qrow hummed in agreement, staying silent until they reached Tai’s home. 

It was a modest two story house, just outside the castle walls. Yang forced him to move closer so that she could check on him whenever she could. When Raven showed up the young Xiao Long forced her to stay with her father to take care of him, after all it was the least she could do after just leaving them both. The woman was floored when she saw the state her previous lover was in, it made her heart ache. 

The two walked into the silent home that was lit by many lamps, the dining room was to their left and the living room to their right. They spotted the blond man sitting in a dining chair that sat in the living room, staring out one of the windows. Raven walked over to him and knelt at his side, taking one of his hands into hers. “Hey Tai, I’m home. Qrow’s here too.” Taiyang didn’t respond, his expression blank and eyes unfocused. “You need anything? Are you thirsty? Hungry?” He gulped, it was his signal for something to drink. Raven went into the kitchen a filled a tin cup with some water. Qrow still stood at the door, observing the two of them together. 

She returned with the water and held it out for the man to take. It took him a moment before he slowly shifted his gaze to the tin cup, gradually lifting his hand to take it. Tai was slow to bring it to his lips and take a drink, but he drank until the cup was empty. The raven haired woman took the cup back, running her fingers through his greasy hair affectionately before returning the dish to the kitchen. “Tai, Yang’s coming home from her mission tomorrow, why not take a bath and look nice for her. Don’t want her to think I’m neglecting you now do we?” Even thought she knew he wouldn’t respond, the healers told Yang it would be good for him to be talked to.

“Yeah, I can practically smell you from here.” The salt and pepper haired man chuckled gruffly, taking a seat on the couch.

“I’ll go draw you a bath.” Raven disappeared up the stairs to where the washroom was, leaving Qrow with his silent friend. Qrow didn’t like the silence so he spoke what was on his mind. 

“I miss them too, Tai. Both of them. I know you’re still bitter about what I did, and I regret it everyday. Believe me when I say that I loved them and miss them just as much as you, but Yang doesn’t deserve this. It hurts her to see you this way, pal. Raven isn’t exactly the most affectionate parent and sure she’s here now, but Firecracker still needs her father. She wants nothing more than for you to get better, but only you can get yourself out of this.” Tai sat in silence, but his head tilted down slightly letting Qrow know that his words had reached him. 

“Alright, bath’s ready. C’mon hun.” Raven returned, helping the blonde man get up and walking him up the stairs. Qrow’s maroon orbs followed them until they were no longer visible. With a large sigh he laid his head back on the couch wishing he had a drink before falling asleep. 

 

><><><><><><><

 

Ruby sat cross legged in the middle of a clearing with her hands placed on her knees. Her silver eyes were closed and she took in long, relaxing breaths. She was meditating. Attempting to clear her mind of any thoughts and dive deep within herself. Many people have told her of the benefits of meditation, but no matter how hard she tried she never got what she was looking for. Hours would pass by, but there would be nothing. Frustration would take over and she wouldn’t be able to clear her thoughts, so she gave up. 

The woman opened her eyes angrily, growling under her breath.  _ Meditation, my ass. _ Her body slumped forward.  _ Why can’t I connect to it? I’ve done it before! _ That day when she bust out of the dungeon she accessed something, something powerful, but she couldn’t touch it now. She could feel this small spark inside, deep down, and she has tried over and over again to no avail. “This is ridiculous.” With a huff Ruby stood up and started the walk back to her home. 

Blake had been gone for over a month now, still failing to return from her mission. The raven-red head was definitely worried, but she knew that the faunus was safe. Blake was strong enough, but Ruby didn’t trust anyone when it came to the older woman, anyone was a threat. “If Cardin so much as threw a nasty comment her way I’m gonna rip him in half.” 

More than anything she missed Blake, she wanted to sleep in the same bed and hold her like she had. The feeling of the faunus’ body against her own, her breath against Ruby’s neck as she cuddled into the warmth. It always made her smile whenever she felt one of Blake’s ears flick against her nose while she slept. A chuckle escaped Ruby’s lips as she thought about how much it tickled. In truth Ruby wished that Blake wouldn’t have left, but she wasn’t going to be selfish and hold the faunus back from recovery.  _ I wonder what she’s doing right now… _

 

><><><><><><><

 

Upon her horse she scowled as the gang all on their own mounts walked near her. The trip had been unbelievably miserable for the faunus and it was due to one single person. Cardin Winchester. He was as pompous and discriminatory as she had heard. The current Knight-Captain had given her nothing but disgusted looks, and murmured insults when he thought that others couldn’t hear. Said man sat on his horse in front of all of them, silently looking forward as they approached Vale. 

They had visited the outposts which were doing very well. The soldiers were well nourished and at the top of their game. Blake was impressed, Vale was doing way better than the White Fang. Sometimes they would go days without food there, having to steal when times got rough in order to keep their strength up. The mission was a bit difficult, but the faunus fared well. She escaped the skirmish without any injuries, but by the end she was completely worn out. There were just so many Grimm is was almost a challenge to keep up, even with all the others around. 

Sun rode next to Blake, who looked like she was thinking hard about something. His mouth opened, but quickly closed. Throughout the entire month he had tried to muster up the courage only to fall back at the last moment. Someone cleared their throat, gaining his attention. Looking up, Yang was gazing at him before flicking her head in Blake’s direction, ushering him on. With a sigh Sun turned back to the feline faunus. “Um, so Blake.” He started off hesitantly. Amber eyes looked up and softened before turning curious. 

“Hm?” She hummed.

“I was wondering, well, the Vytal Ball is next week and I thought that, maybe you’d like to go? T-Together, with me? Like, um, like a date?” Red was creeping up into his cheeks, mouth struggling not to fumble over any words as Sun spoke. Blake’s brows shot up considerably, astonished by the request. Yang watched intently from her position farther up.

“A date?” She repeated back, a part of her thinking that maybe she had misheard the faunus man. 

“Y-Yeah, if you don’t mind. It’s alright if you don’t want to, I’d understand.” He scratched the back of his neck, refusing to meet Blake amber gaze for fear of seeing rejection. 

“Sun, I um, I don’t know.” When she saw the hurt expression on his face she panicked slightly. “Could you just, let me think on it for a few days? There are just some things that I need to think over.” 

“Whatever you need Blake.” At this, Sun seemed a little happier, his usual light coming back to his eyes. “Take your time, I don’t want to force you.” Blake simply gave a nod in agreement, turning her gaze back to the road in front of her, spying Vale in the distance. WIth a sigh she looked to her side where she could see Mountain Glenn looming high over her. The sun’s light barely peeking around the edges.

A part of her wanted to redirect her horse and travel up the mountain to see the raven-red head that had made such a big impact on her life, but she held back knowing that leaving would make the others question her destination. She wasn’t about to put Ruby in any danger of being discovered, that would mean her execution and the faunus didn’t want that at all. Smiling, Blake remembered the nap they had shared the day before she left. It was the best sleep she had gotten since leaving for the Beacon Castle. The beds were different there, firmer, colder, and smelled of lye, but Ruby’s bed was far softer from the furs and from use, smelling of burning wood and roses that lulled the faunus to sleep in the blink of an eye, not to mention the comfort of having someone in the same bed with their arms wrapped protectively around you. It made her feel so safe. 

“So, Blake. Have you put in any thought to what you want to wear to the ball?” Weiss asked in an attempt to start a pleasant conversation. The faunus reluctantly dragged her attention away from the mountain.

“Not really, no. I’m hoping that I can find an invisibility cloak.” The others snickered. 

“The ball isn’t that bad Blake, it’s a celebration of peace between the four kingdoms, plus you can wear a nice dress to attract some attention.” The brawler winked with insinuation, making the raven haired woman roll her eyes with a scoff. 

“Attention is the last thing that I want.” 

“Don’t worry, I’m sure everyone will be focused on other things anyway. Political discussions and talk about the tournament.” Weiss spoke up, shrugging her shoulders. 

“I heard some ships from the other kingdoms have already arrived.” Jaune mumbled, he never really liked riding a horse for long periods of time. 

“Then maybe Penny’s at the castle waiting for us. It’d be nice to see her, after all these years.” The blonde brawler leaned against her horse’s mane with a sigh. “Can’t wait to just take a nap though.” 

“Same here.” Blake agreed. During her off time she had been training so that her muscle mass and skills could improve without the threat of death being present. At the moment nearly every part of her body was sore or aching, so a nap was definitely welcome. 

 

When they finally made it back to the castle they dropped their mounts off at the stable so that they could be taken care of by the staff. Blake made sure to treat her horse with a quick carrot before following the others inside the castle. Upon entering they saw a large man talking with Lord Ozpin, his hair was black with greyed sides and he had a very militant posture. The feline faunus could feel his name on the tip of her tongue but she couldn’t quite grasp it. Next to him was a younger woman with orange colored hair with freckles dusting her cheeks. Ozpin turned his attention to the group as they entered the main hall, a smile growing on his lips as they approached. “Ah, welcome back everyone. I assume that things went well?”

“They went without a hitch, Sir.” Cardin spoke, straightening his back as the others rolled their eyes all thinking the same thing.  _ Kiss ass. _ “The camps were in perfect shape and the mission went without any issues or injuries.” 

“Cardin, I must say it has been awhile since I last saw you, thought it has been a long time since I’ve entered Vale territory,” The larger man chuckled, “But it seems that you’ve taken your new rank very well. Shame that your promotion was under the circumstances that it was. Ms. Rose was certainly exceptional at her job and I hope you are doing your best to live up to those expectations.” Cardin’s face momentarily twisted with disgust at the mention of Ruby.

“Of course, General Ironwood.”  _ Ironwood! That’s it, he’s the Lord of Atlas!  _ It all clicked for Blake, Adam had mentioned the man many times in their plans of attack.  _ Adam... _ She suddenly felt very uncomfortable in her skin, arms coming up to hug her midsection. 

“I’m sure you’ve all worked hard these past few weeks. Take the time you need to recover, maybe share a cup of tea in the garden. Lord Ironwood and I have some private matters we need to discuss. I will expect a full report on my desk by morning Mr. Winchester.” Ozpin lowered his head slightly in departure.

“Yes, My Lord.” The Knight-Captain bowed as the two Lord walked off before scowling at the others and leaving without a word himself. 

“He certainly has his smalls in a bunch.” Commented the other orange haired girl who wore a lovely smile on her face. The others laughed, all taking their turns hugging her. 

“It’s great to see you again Penny.” Yang said, smiling widely. “It’s been what? Four years now? Longer?” 

“Yes, it certainly has been a long time. I would’ve visited, but with the war going on I tend to be quite busy in Atlas.” Penny scratched the back of her neck sheepishly.

“Well, before we catch up we should probably introduce you to our newest member, Bla-huh?” The blond had turned around to gesture at the faunus, but she was nowhere to be seen. All eyes searched around besides Ren’s while Penny just looked at them questioningly. 

“Where did she go?” Weiss wondered out loud. 

“She sneaky sneaked her way out of the room  _ ninja style _ .” Nora struck a kung fu pose while her fiance simply smiled at her childishness. 

“She walked in the direction of her room. I assume she must be tired from the journey and needed a rest. Although Blake didn’t look so good when she left. She seemed to be very upset.” Ren explained. He had watched her leave while the others were distracted and noted that they way she was holding herself was a bit odd, but he decided not to interfere.  

“I hope she’s alright…” Jaune spoke with concern as Sun walked past him.

“I’ll go check on her and meet you guys in the garden so you can catch up.” Said the monkey man.

“Alright, well, I’m gonna head out into town after a quick wash. I gotta figure out what I’m gonna wear to the Ball before I forget about it.” Neptune walked off giving a small wave. 

“I’m gonna head to the flat and check on Pyrrha and Sky. We’ll meet up later on.” Jaune hurried his way out of the castle. 

“Nora and I have to check on the forge. No doubt they’ve caused a lot of trouble down there.” The ponytailed man turned to leave, his future-wife not far behind. 

“Yup, see ya later!” Nora joyfully waved as she exited the palace. 

“Well I guess that just leaves us.” The blonde brawler chuckled swinging an arm around Weiss’ slim waist causing the white haired woman to scowl at her lover playfully.

 

Blake sprinted back to her room, slamming the door behind her before locking it. Running probably wasn’t the best idea considering her lungs were struggling to get enough air, pumping rapidly with little to no success. The attack was triggered by her thoughts of Adam. Her arms were keeping a steel grip on her sides, attempting to make her feel safe to some degree but it didn’t help at all.  _ “Wake up! Dammit bitch, wake the fuck up. I’m not playing around today Blake!” _ His voice bellowed in her mind as she gripped tightly at her ebony hair, scrunching her face up and trying to think of anything else, anything to take her mind away from those days. The sound of a slap rung in her ears and her cheek tingled from the memory of the stinging hand marks he had left behind countless times. 

_ “You worthless, waste of air. I hope you’re ready for today.”  _ His laugh echoed in her mind, bringing the memory of the higher ranked Fang members taking their turns defiling her body, while the others just stood to enjoy the show. She could remember waking up the next day with her womanhood feeling unbelievably sore, so much so, she had no desire to move for fear of increasing the pain.  _ Calm down, Blake, calm down.  _ The raven haired woman thought, doing her best to calm her nerves.  _ He isn’t here right now, he can’t get to you. You’re safe here, Ruby wouldn’t let him get you...you know that... _ At that moment she desired the warmth that seemed to spread throughout her body in times that Blake was having a breakdown, but it wasn’t coming. Come to think of it, that feeling would appear later and later in each one of her attacks. 

Stumbling her way to bed, Blake flopped down still gasping for air while holding her hands above her head. “Think Blake, think. What would Ruby tell you to do? What would she normally do to comfort you?” The faunus asked herself in a whisper, closing her eyes so she could envision it.  _ She’d rub her hands over your shoulders, then pull you into a hug while whispering reassurances into your ear.  _ She forced her lungs to take in deeper breaths, forcefully slowing them down so that she could get the capacity she needed.  _ Her fingers would trace up and down the length of your spine as the other would gently scratch the area of scalp just behind your cat ears.  _ Said area tingled from the thought, making the furry ears flick slightly. Ever so slowly did her breathing return to normal and the thoughts of Adam faded only to be replaced by Ruby. A smile made its way to Blake’s lips when the raven-red head’s crooked smile flashed in her mind. 

A knock on the door brought her back to the present, making her sit up on the bed with mild irritation forming her features. She blushed when she realized that she had been purring while thinking of her younger friend, but it stopped when the knock came. “Blake? Hey, you okay in there?” It was Sun who spoke through the door. 

“Yeah Sun, I’m fine. Just really tired. I was thinking that I’d take a nap for a while.” 

“Alright. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. If you wake up later on make sure to eat something.” 

“I will. Thanks.” 

“Later.” 

“Later.” With a sigh Blake fell back onto her bed with a flop, lazily kicking off her boots and slowly removing her armor until she was in nothing but her smalls and her black tunic. The distant sound of thunder caused one of her ears to twitch.  _ Hm, a thunderstorm is on its way. _

 

><><><><><><

 

“Ozpin, we have to strike soon. They’re getting closer and closer and your army is just sitting on their asses like nothing's even wrong.” Ironwood growled, slamming his open palm on Ozpin’s desk making everything on it’s surface shudder. The grey haired man only sipped at his steaming beverage silently as Glynda took the opportunity to throw out her thoughts on the matter.

“James, you know as well as the rest of us the,  _ sensitivity _ , of the situation. The Maidens are suppose to be hidden and revealing that someone was strong enough to kill one, let alone, take their power, it would cause panic.” The blond woman argued only to have the General sigh, rubbing at his temples.

“What other options do we have? They will find out eventually, when we’re putting all our efforts into this war they will question whether or not we will be victorious. We can’t just sit here and let the enemy grow stronger. Amber is dead, and we have no way to tell which of the other three Maidens the enemy will be after next.” 

“We have nothing to worry about. All we need is a little more time and I’m sure the odds will tip in our favor.” Ozpin finally spoke, looking between Ironwood and his wife. 

“How can you be so sure Ozpin?” James seemed to doubt the Lord’s words. Ozpin was silent for a while, swirling his beverage in his cup mindlessly. 

“I just do. You’ll have to trust me.” His bronze eyes look up to meet Ironwood’s. The two held that stare for a while before James looked away. 

“Fine, but if things haven’t change by the time the Vytal Festival begins. I will take matters into my own hands.” The large man turned and left Ozpin’s office in silence. Glynda released a frustrated breath that grabbed the grey haired man’s attention. 

“Something on your mind?” He inquired watching as she turned to give him a small but tired smile. 

“I just don’t understand why he has to be so hard headed. An army would just…” The older woman trailed off with a sigh.

“Put doubt into the people’s minds. I know-”

“Then maybe a Guardian would be your best bet.” A gruff voice sounded from the doorway. Qrow was leaning casually against the doorframe while taking a swig from his flask. 

“That has been on my mind for a while. All the Maidens are residents of the three other kingdoms, so we’ll have to find someone just as strong to take Amber’s place here in Vale. The only problem is, our only candidate, Ruby, is no longer with us.” Ozpin threaded his fingers together, placing his elbows on the top of his desk. 

“I doubt Tai or Summer would’ve allowed you to put her in such a position.” The salt and pepper haired man sauntered in, stopping just a few feet short of the Lord’s desk. “Knowing her though, she wouldn’t hesitate to put herself in danger for the sake of strangers.” He chuckled quietly. “But on a more serious note. Our enemy seems to be working in tandem with the White Fang. The woman who killed Amber, and her lackeys were hanging out near some of the top bases. I’m surprised I didn’t get caught with how heavily guarded the places were.”

“Hm.” Oz hummed thoughtfully. “That would explain some things, but my sources say that Roman Torchwick and some White Fang were spotted together as well. They collaborated in some dust robberies in the outer ring.”

“The crime lord, terrorists, and the mastermind. Doesn’t really make sense.” Maroon eyes hardened with thought. “What do you think their next move will be?”

“Who knows, but I have a suspicion that it will be sooner than we all expect it to be.” The Lord exhaled, closing his eyes. Thunder boomed loudly from outside and the pouring rain was easily heard.

“Then I suggest we start preparing in the most discreet manner possible.” Glynda suggested. Her husband nodded, lost in the single thought.  _ I hope you come back soon, Ruby.  _

 

><><><><><><

 

The loud cracks of thunder left her ears struggling to regain the ability to hear anything around her, leaving behind a faint ring. Rain soaked her to the bone, drops falling from her chin and nose as she stood in the clearing, body preparing to attack. It was pitch black, so Ruby struggled to see, but every so often a flash of lightning would light up the world around her for just a second, all that she needed. Thunderstorms were the only times she could go all out with her semblance, when she propels herself forward at full speed it creates a very loud boom, much like a crack of thunder. When it storms the noise blends in and nobody thinks anything is suspicious. The perfect camouflage. 

She could faintly hear some hissing over the sound of pouring rain accompanied by a few telltale snaps.  _ Deathstalker _ , Ruby thought, shifting her gaze slowly around. Her scythe at the ready in her hands. A flash of lightning lit up the world, instantly alerting Ruby of the Grimm’s location to her right. It’s many eyes shown orange in red in the dark for a moment. Her silver eyes locked on her target in that instant and without hesitation pushed her semblance full force causing the ground that had been under her feet to give and break, a loud boom sounding across the mountain. Air whizzed by her as she brought her weapon down on one the of monster’s joints, effectively cutting one of it pinchers off. When she stopped the ground broke in front of her from the force. 

Readying herself again Ruby flew back slicing at its other limb, the blade cutting through with little resistance. The Deathstalker screeched in anger, jabbing its stinger in her direction only for her to barely dodge the attack, struggling to see its silhouette in the darkness.  _ That stinger goes next. _ Luckily another flash of lightning gave the ex-Huntress enough time to lock her silver eyes on her target. Flying into the air as a flurry of roses, she sliced the stinger off easier than cutting butter, watching it as it fell to the ground and ignoring the angry protest of the Creature of Grimm.  _ Now for the kill, but I gotta get past all that armor. _ An idea struck Ruby and she smiled happily feeling the pure adrenaline running through her system. 

Landing back on the ground she activated her semblance, becoming nothing but a blur of red racing around the Deathstalker at impossible speeds, rose petals left behind to flow with the wind. Pushing herself faster her plan started to take shape, the monster was slowly being sucked up into the cyclone that she was creating. Its large body was being lifted off the ground and while it struggled in mid-air it positioned straight up.  _ That’s it! _ With a laugh she zoomed right below the Grimm, scythe at the ready. Before the large monster could begin its fall back to the surface, Ruby flashed straight up, slicing her way along its underbelly, from tail to head. The impact when the Grimm hit the ground created a loud thud along with a disgustingly squishy sound. The ex-Knight-Captain landed easily on her feet a few yard away, standing with a loud laugh as she observed her handiwork. The two halfs of the Deathstalker were only held together by its white armor as black smoke rose from the lifeless body. 

Her muscles shook with all the adrenaline running through her veins, heart pumping wildly in excitement and lungs working to take in all the oxygen possible. Dust, it had been so long since she’d felt this,  _ free. _ The pouring rain added to that feeling as it dripped from every part of her, like it was washing away all the pains of her past. The nostalgia was strong and Ruby openly admitted that she  _ missed _ all this, the fighting, the unbridled use of her aura. In that moment she wanted nothing more than to be the Knight-Captain again just so she could feel this all the time. “I still got it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken an antire month to get this out guys. I started school not three days after publishing my last chapter so I've been putting most of my energy into that. But I'm back now! I should be updating roughly every 2-3 weeks, I'm thinking that I might post any updates in the comments up until the next chapter is published that way you guys aren't just wondering weather or not I'm gonna be updating in a few days or a few more weeks. Sound good? Anyway, I enjoy all of your feedback and comments, definitely click that kudos button. If you all want to see more of anything be sure to let me know so that I can incorporate it into the story. I bet you were all happy to see Qrow eh? Don't lie of course you were.


	13. Chapter 13

The Vytal Ball. Blake had been dreading this day since her return from her mission. Social gatherings were definitely not her forte, she was more of the kind of person to sit in bed and read before wanting to hang out with a group of strangers, regardless of friends being there. Weiss and Yang insisted that she go out and get a nice dress. Weiss had more conservative tastes while Yang was a little wild with the desired amount of skin being shown. Eventually she found a dress that was perfect, not too much cleavage and it was comfortable enough to wear in public. After the horrors the faunus had experienced in captivity, she wasn’t very fond of exposure of her skin. The dress was down to mid calf with an open slit running up to just before her hip and it was more like mesh covering the shoulders. It was black of course.

Blake had to come to Sun with an answer eventually so she decided that they could go together, but only as friends. Unfortunately, she didn’t think she could feel the same way. Yes he was a friend, but more than that? Blake didn’t feel any sort of romantic feelings for the monkey faunus, at least not that she could tell. The thought of any kind of romantic intimacy put her on edge, so she would rather not put herself in that situation not to mention trying to explain to Sun the reason she would have a panic attack if he were to attempt kissing her. The raven haired woman barely handled him hugging her tight, making her feel like she’s trapped. Thankfully he agreed with no hard feelings, hoping that it wouldn’t make their relationship weird.

The only thing that was left to do was her hair, but she couldn’t decide how she wanted it. There wasn’t really that much she could do in the first place with her feline ears being in the way. The faunus certainly wasn’t used to prettying herself up, so she was at a loss. “Need some help?” A voice asked from the doorway making her look at them through the mirror. Pyrrha was smiling warmly at her with her open palm splayed across a growing belly.

“It couldn’t hurt.” Blake chuckled, running her fingers through her long black locks as the redhead walked up behind her. Pyrrha observed her though the mirror before her green eyes lit up with an idea. “How’s the baby?” 

“So far so good, but I do hope you don’t dote on me as much as the others because they can be a bit overbearing at times. I’ve gone through this before so I know what I’m doing.” The redhead laughed to which Blake smiled.

“I won’t. Can’t blame Jaune though, he just seems to be that kind of person who worries about everyone, especially the mother of his children and their unborn child.” 

“It’s endearing to say the least.” The redhead gathered the strands of hair that framed the faunus’ face and pulled them back before tying them into a small ponytail. “I hope you like simplicity, but it does look good and it’s easy to take down.” Blake observed herself in the mirror shooting Pyrrha a thankful grin before standing up to face the pregnant woman.

“It’s just fine. Thank you. I’m assuming the others sent you up to check on me to make sure I didn’t change my mind about going.” A sleek black brow rose knowingly as Pyrrha gave her a shit-eating grin. “Why do I even ask.” 

“Well, we best get going so the others don’t get worried.” The redhead turned on her heel and exited Blake’s room with the faunus right next to her. They walked for a minute before Pyrrha spoke up.

“I was wondering something Blake.” 

“Alright. What is it?” Amber eyes looked at the other woman curiously.

“The friend of yours who’d saved you. How long has it been since you’ve visited them?” 

“The last time I was there was the night before we left for our mission. Why do you ask?” Blake’s muscles tensed slightly. 

“I was just curious. The day you let us know you were going to visit them you looked like you didn’t want to be around us. Like you wanted to leave as soon as possible.” 

“To be honest, I wanted nothing more than to see them. I needed to talk to them about something important and it’s,” She paused for a moment, “It’s nothing personal against all of you, but she was just  _ there _ , when nobody else was, and she  _ stayed _ . She did everything for me, took care of me, held me when I had bad dreams about my days in that Hell.  _ Nobody _ in my  _ entire life _ has done that for me just because they cared.” They made their way down a flight of stairs which Blake made sure to keep an eye on Pyrrha just in case she needed any assistance. 

“I understand what you’re saying. I get it. It just struck my curiosity is all. It’s nice knowing that there are still some really good people out there, that respect the faunus despite the doings of the White Fang.” 

“Before her I never really knew a human that didn’t hold some distaste for those of faunus heritage. Not once did she say anything negative to me or shoot me a disgusted glance. I think that she loved the company more than anything really.” They finally made it to the throne room where the gathering was being held. 

Many people were talking, laughing or dancing all from different kingdoms. She could easily pick out the different ones from just looking. Those from Vacuo were rather tan skinned, while those from Atlas were paler and had a more professional aura around them. The ones from Mistral all seemed pretty relaxed and didn’t wear the fanciest of clothes. Most of their faces couldn’t be seen due to the masks that they wore. It was a masquerade themed ball after all. Weather or not you followed the theme or not was optional.

“Blake! It’s about time you got down here.” Sun waltzed over wearing something as formal as possible for him. His eyes roamed her figure with much pleasure making the raven haired faunus feel uncomfortable. “You look absolutely amazing.” 

“Th-Thanks Sun.” She mumbled back, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Well, I’ll leave you two to yourselves. Better find Jaune before he ends up alone with the rum again.” The redhead chuckled before leaving to find her husband within the crowd of people. 

“So, talk about lavish, right?” Sun gestured to the Ball in it’s entirety. All Blake could do was agree, nodding her head while observing the scene around her. As they walked around she could smell the alcohol on many people’s breaths as she walked by. The smell of rum usually made her uneasy and it was doing so at that moment.

“Glad to see that you made it Blake.” Yang smiled as the two faunus approached her, Weiss and someone Blake came to know as Penny were standing together with respective drinks in their hands. “How about a drink?” 

“Um, no thank you. I don’t drink.” The feline faunus politely declined the offer only to have Yang give an unconcerned shrug. 

“There are a lot more people here than I expected.” Weiss thought out loud, her blue eyes roaming over the thick crowd. “A few even decided to wear masks.”  

“What’s the point of a theme if barely anyone follows it?” Sun looked around attempting to count how many people were in fact wearing any masks. So far there were double digits worth. 

“Just if anyone feels like they want to. Vale is one of the least restricted kingdoms when it comes to rights and freedoms. Ozpin wants everyone to feel comfortable enough that they can make their own decisions here.” Yang explained, drinking her alcoholic beverage until her glass was completely empty.

“Yang.” The Schnee’s tone was one of warning, prompting her lover to look at her bashfully. “Don’t you dare get drunk off your feet tonight. I am not dragging you back to the room after you pass out on the ballroom floor,  _ again. _ ” 

“Fine, fine. I won’t. Promise, but only if we have a little fun later.” A lilac eye winked suggestively to the white haired woman who blushed, gawking at her wife’s blunt suggestion.   
“Yang Xiao Long! Keep that business to yourself!” Weiss screeched making the blonde brawler burst out with laughter. The others made disgusted faces.

“Yes, please keep it to yourself.” Penny backed away slightly while Blake simply looked around, becoming very uncomfortable with the topic. 

“Hey, it’s not like you and Ruby didn’t-” Yang halted when Penny instantly became solemn. “Ah, s-sorry Penny. I forgot that you haven’t been able to talk about her too.” 

“It’s fine. It’s,” The orange haired woman sighed, “all in the past now.” 

“Everyone finally started to talk about her again.” Began Yang. “It really lifted the weight off our shoulders, and it kinda hurts a little less too. You should try it.” 

“I’ll think about it.” The Atlas woman mumbled before Ironwood called to her from Ozpin’s side. “Well, the Lord calls.” Without so much as waving her goodbye the orange haired woman walked off.     

“Am I sensing some,  _ history _ , between Ruby and Penny?” Blake questioned, eyeing Penny from a distance. The thought of the two having some sort of romantic history definitely didn’t settle very well in the feline faunus’ stomach. 

“Guess the cat's out of the bag.” The blond scratched the nape of her neck while Blake simply glared at her. “But yes, they were, together for a while. Things ended though. They both decided that it just wasn’t there anymore, and being kingdoms away from one another didn’t help. So, they separated. I’m sure there are still some feelings there, but they are a far cry from what they used to be. Penny was pretty heartbroken to hear about what happened, so she’s been very distant the past few years.” 

“Hm. I see.” The black haired faunus felt slightly conflicted. She felt bad that their relationship ended, but then again a part of her was glad that there wasn’t anything of the sort. _Really, Blake? Stop being so possessive. Ruby is a free woman, she can have relationships with other people. Who are you to feel different?_ Blake chastised herself.

“Hey, Sun, buddy-ol-pal. Wanna come be my wing man for just a moment?” Neptune popped out from nowhere in a very dashing tunic and trousers. Before the monkey faunus could protest, the blue haired man dragged him off into the crowd. Blake chuckled mildly as she watched the blond monkey disappear. Looking up to the next level she saw that they had the balconies open and with how many people were crowded around she thought it best to get some space. 

“I think I’m going to get some fresh air for a little.” The faunus politely dismissed herself from the married couple who nodded and walked off to talk with others they might know. 

Blake made her way upstairs and gladly found an unoccupied balcony, walking over to the rail she looked out over the city. It was night so there were many lights that twinkled from the darkened buildings, like orange stars that had fallen to the ground. A breeze whizzed by, tousling her hair slightly as it went, her golden eyes looking above the city to Mountain Glenn. It’s large form cast a shadow over all of Vale, giving it an almost ominous look, but the stars behind it twinkled making Blake grin. Her lungs took in a deep breath of the fresh night air, slowly letting it go.

“You look absolutely  _ gorgeous  _ tonight.” A voice said from behind the unaware faunus who whipped around to look at the intruder to her privacy. It took her a moment to observe them. Fancy red and white tunic adorning a black hood with black breeches and boots. Upon their face was a silver mask that covered everything from the nose up, but there was no mistaking that crooked smile and silver eyes that were barely hidden. “Or should I say breathtaking?” The woman’s confidence died down most likely from nervousness due to the faunus’ silence. “Well, I suppose both can’t even describe-” She was cut off by Blake who ran full force into her body to wrap her arms around the masked woman’s waist. 

“What are you doing here?” Blake questioned happily cuddling her face into Ruby’s neck, taking in her scent.

“I just really wanted to see you.” Ruby said into raven hair, returning the embrace. There was a moment of comfortable silence between the two women until something dawned on Blake. Ruby was in danger here.

“You can’t be here. What if someone recognises you?” There was panic in her voice as she pulled away to look Ruby in the eye. 

“Calm down Blake, it’ll be fine.” The raven-red head gave the older woman a confident grin.

“How do you know that? A lot of people know who you are. It’s not safe for you to be here.” 

“One, there are lots of different people from all four kingdoms here. Two, I followed the theme of wearing a mask so it’s not likely I’ll be recognised. Three, my hair is tied back so anyone who knows me won’t be able to distinguish me by how my hair is colored.” To prove her point Ruby pulled her hood back enough for Blake to see that her raven-red hair was in fact tied in a small ponytail. “Besides, I haven’t seen or heard from you in over a month and I really needed to see you. If I do get caught? It’s worth it.” Ruby shrugged with a grin on her lips. Blake rolled her eyes playfully, but smiled feeling the beginnings of a blush creeping up into her cheeks.

“Just, be careful. Okay?” Ruby nodded to the faunus before taking a step back in order to bow slightly and hold out her hand.

“Mind if we dance, my lady?” 

“Only if you’re comfortable with me  _ constantly _ stepping on your toes.” 

“My toes can handle it.” 

“If you say so.” A chuckle escaped the raven haired faunus as she gently laid her hand into Ruby’s. The younger woman straightened, leading Blake back inside and down the stairs to the dance floor. The ex-White Fang member was on edge, keeping her eye out for anyone who may recognise her dance partner and it baffled her that Ruby wasn’t so nervous herself. If she was caught here that would mean her death, her execution. 

Getting into the proper form they began to dance to the music. Blake laid her hand on Ruby’s shoulder, the other holding the ex-Huntress’ hand. The feeling of Ruby’s other hand laying delicately on her hip was comforting, but embarrassing at the same time. “I can’t help but laugh at how cliche this entire situation is.” 

“What do mean?” Ruby questioned, pulling Blake closer using the hand she had positioned on her hip. 

“The wanted criminal goes under disguise at a masquerade ball so that he may dance with his fair princess. Very cliche. Did you read one of my books while I was gone?” She asked teasingly to which the raven-red head’s smile grew bigger.

“Not at all, princess. I simply wished to see your beauty with my own eyes once more. For it has been nearly a whole moon cycle ago that we last spoke.” Ruby spoke as if she were some man, lowering her voice a few octaves and speaking with an accent. Blake let out an unbridled laugh, one that could be clearly heard by all the other members on the dance floor, but they paid her no mind. The silver eyed woman laughed lightly, her chest becoming warm just from hearing Blake laugh and seeing the bright smile her little performance brought to her lips. 

“Quiet you.” Blake gently smacked her hand against the younger woman’s shoulder who simply pulled her closer, now able to wrap her entire arm around Blake’s waist. Their bodies were flushed together as they moved in rhythm. Unfortunately, the air reeked of alcohol making the faunus increasingly nervous which wasn’t hard for Ruby to notice.

“What’s wrong?” She whispered into the faunus’ human ear, pulling her close so that it may help her friend.

“Alcohol. The smell. It-” Blake stopped for a moment so that she could rub her cheek against Ruby’s jaw before continuing in a whisper, “It brings back memories.” 

“Of him?” Ruby felt the faunus nod slowly. Her grip tightened on Blake’s hand as well as around her hips in a protective gesture. “Tell me about it.” 

“There’s not much to tell really. My,  _ punishments _ , were always worse on the days that he had been drinking. Either I’d be beaten half to death by the end of the day or,” Blake paused once more to swallow the lump in her throat, “or he would just satisfy himself over and over again, sometimes have a few others join. He liked to hit me while...during everything. The smell of alcohol would be stuck in my nose for days afterward.” Ruby stayed silent for a while before something hit her. She had come back to the cabin drunk sometimes.

“So, those days when I came home drunk you were afraid?” Guilt bubbled up in Ruby’s chest.

“A little.” 

“You should’ve said something then. I would’ve stopped.” 

“I didn’t want you to sacrifice anything else for me.” Blake began to argue, but was cut off by her friend’s soft voice. 

“That would’ve been a worthy sacrifice, I don’t even like drinking. Now I feel bad for scaring you when I was like that.”

“Don’t. It’s not as bad with you as it is with others. I trust you, Ruby.” Amber eyes met silver and Ruby swore that her heart stopped right then and there.  _ Say it. _

“Blake, I…” Before she could say it, the feeling of someone watching her drew her attention to the side of the dance floor, where she saw Sun observing them with this, displeased look on his face. There was a hint of hurt too and Ruby could tell exactly what was wrong with him just by looking because over the years her ability to read people has gone through the roof. He was jealous of her because she was with Blake instead of him. His feelings for the cat faunus were worn right on his sleeve.  _ Am I keeping her from him? Did they come together?  _ Regardless of her own wants she could see the two being something more. They were both faunus and childhood friends. Who was she to get in the way? Blake would probably be happier with the monkey faunus than with a human. “I think there is someone else who wants to have a dance with you.” Ruby put on her best smile. 

“What?” Blake asked, tilting her head as her friend gestured in Sun direction. “Oh.” Blake had completely forgot about him. 

“Why not dance with him a little? I can go around and entertain myself somewhere else.” Ruby suggested, begrudgingly pulling away from the faunus. 

“Are you sure? You came all this way…” 

“I’m sure. Can’t have you to myself forever now can I?” The raven-red head chuckled. “Go dance with him, I’ll be around somewhere.” 

“Alright.” Blake had been hesitant, but gave in. Sun noticed her walking in his direction and instantly brightened up, shooting her his best smile. Ruby smiled sadly at her back before turning around and walking away. 

“Heya Blake, who was that you were dancing with?” Said faunus looked behind her only to find that Ruby had disappeared from sight.

“She was that friend I’d told you about a while back.” 

“Oh? Well, why haven’t you introduced her to any of us?” His head tilted, eyes scanning around for Blake’s friend.

“She’s not really a people person. She already doesn’t feel comfortable around this many people and she came a long way to see me. So, I don’t want to make the night worse for her.” She came up with the excuse which the monkey faunus believed without question.

“That’s alright. We’ll meet her eventually I’m sure. So, a dance?” 

“Sure.” Blake nodded, taking his hand and heading to the dance floor. 

 

Ruby walked up the stairs, looking down to spot Blake and Sun dancing happily within the crowd. With a sigh she walked along hoping to find and empty balcony that she could sulk on. When she passed by one, she paused a moment. All her friends were standing there talking amongst themselves. Yang was laughing at Weiss who was blushing. Jaune and Pyrrha were holding hands as they listened to the conversation. Ren was standing silently as Neptune and Nora argued over something. Then there was Penny. Ruby lost her breath upon taking her in. The past four years had been good to her. She was as beautiful as ever, but she was oddly melancholy as she stood there not really paying attention to the others. 

A dull ache emerged from the depths of Ruby’s heart as she observed her past love as well as the others. She was standing right there and none of them knew it. Yang looked happy which made the brawler’s little sister smile.  _ At least they’re enjoying the Ball. _ With a sigh Ruby decided to move on before one of them noticed her standing there. A few more later a sight on one of the balconies made her freeze in her steps. There sat Taiyang in a wooden chair, alone outside with his back to her. 

She knew of his illness. She knew that he had shut down after what had happened with her and it broke her heart to see him like that in person. Making sure the coast was clear, Ruby made her way over to her father until she was in front of him. He didn’t show any sign of acknowledgment to her presence as she bent down in front of him. “Hi Dad.” The woman whispered softly. Slowly, Ruby pulled her mask up to rest on her head so that the blond man could see her face. “It’s me. Your little Rosebud.” Tai finally moved his gaze to meet her own upon hearing his youngest daughter’s nickname. His blue eyes widened slightly when he took her in. “Look at you. Being all gloomy. That’s not like you.” She let out a small chuckle. “C’mon, cheer up old man.” Tai started shaking, his eyes growing watery. 

“We need to talk, Dad.” Ruby started seriously, but laid a gentle hand on her father’s knee. “I know that losing people you love is hard. Raven left you, Mom died, and everyone believes I’m dead, but that is no reason to stop living. You still have Yang and I know it hurts her to see you like this. Just because she’s an adult now doesn’t mean she doesn’t still need her dad. So, cheer up okay? If not for Yang or anyone else, then for me. Please.” Tears were now freely flowing from Taiyang’s blue orbs, his teeth were bared as his jaw clenched. 

“Mm-” Tai struggled, wanting desperately to speak. Ruby took his hand and placed it on her cheek. “Mm, my...little…” Taking some deep breaths he finally sobbed out. “My, little Rosebud.” His voice was raspy from years of silence.

“Yeah, it’s me Dad.” She gave him a smile, squeezing his hand. 

“I-It...can’t be…” There was denial in the man’s voice, like he was refusing to believe that his youngest daughter was right before his eyes. 

“But it is. I’m alive.” Gently she took his hand from her cheek and laid it on her chest just above her heart so that he may feel it beating in his palm. Tai felt the pulse for a long moment before his sobs came harder, wracking his body like miniature earthquakes. 

“Ruby…” He sniffled. Grabbing a fistful of her tunic the blond man yanked her into his crushing embrace that threatened to suffocate her. “I’ve missed you, so much…” At first she was shocked by the embrace, but eventually wrapped her arms around her broken father while gently rubbing his back. 

“I missed you, too.” Ruby nuzzled her face into his chest. 

“Tai?” A female voice interrupted the moment, jolting Ruby back to her current situation. Drawing back she speedily pulled her half-faced mask back down before looking at who was interrupting them. Raven. The woman was wearing a dark blue dress. A scowl formed on the older woman’s face. “What in dust’s name are you doing here!?” Raven whisper-yelled.

“That’s none of your business.” The raven-red head mumbled, standing straight much to her father’s disappointment. 

“Are you  _ insane _ ? You could get caught!” 

“You don’t think I know that? I thought you were the one who told me to come back?” Ruby shot back, anger rising within her. 

“Not like this!” Raven gestured to the party. 

“Back off, Raven. You’re not my mother so stop trying to tell me what I  _ can  _ and  _ cannot _ do!” The young woman hissed venomously, gritting her teeth. “I’m not here for Yang or  _ any _ of the others.” Red eyes flicked with curiosity, glancing at Taiyang who was desperately clinging to Ruby’s clothes, sobbing noisily. 

“Don’t go, don’t leave me again. Please.” His voice was unbearably raspy, struggling to even speak. 

“Not even for him.” Ruby sighed, bending down so that she may take her father’s face in her hands. “I’m sorry Dad, but I really can’t stay. I promise that you’ll see me again, but  _ only _ if you start really getting better. Deal?” Tai observed his daughter through watery eyes, debating, but nodded in agreement. Ruby smiled. “Good.” Giving him a kiss to his forehead, the young woman stood up with a sigh. Raven was watching her, scanning over her with her searing red eyes in an attempt to read the raven-red head. “Raven.” Red met silver.

“Yes?”

“Take care of him,” Silver eyes softened, “and Yang.” Without another word Ruby walked past her sister’s mother back into the castle in search of Blake. Raven stood still, shocked as Tai continued to sniffle in his chair. 

Ruby was speed walking, so many thoughts running through her head. She needed to find Blake before she left the Ball to return to her cabin. Oh how she longed for the chilled air, smell of burning hickory and the soft furs covering her while cuddling her furry canine companion. 

Going down to the dance floor silver eyes scanned around for Blake. Ruby was becoming increasingly paranoid with how many people were around, having run into people that now know she is alive. As her eyes moved across the room they slowed to a stop on a pair of familiar but unpleasant amber orbs. They definitely weren’t the raven haired faunus’s. Those eyes stared back at her through a mask and Ruby gulped slightly. She knew those eyes. It was  _ her _ , the woman who shot her with an arrow. The strange woman seemed passive at first, but as she registered the sight she was looking at a small grin appeared on her lips. Then she looked away. Another gulp and Ruby was again searching for Blake. Spying the raven haired faunus by the drinks she made her way there, softly touching Blake’s shoulder to get her attention. The faunus jumped, body and muscles going rigid until she realized that is was only Ruby. Giving Blake a smile she said, “It’s about time that I head back to the cabin. Walk out with me?” 

“Of course.” Blake hastily agreed falling in step next to her friend. Ruby was silent the entire walk outside making worry grow within Blake’s chest. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I-...I talked to my father.” The younger woman mumbled. The faunus’ eyes widened from shock.

“Did he, talk back?” She knew that Taiyang hadn’t spoken for years, Yang would often discuss him and her mother.

“Yeah, he did, but I don’t really want to talk about it. I’m gonna head home.” Ruby turned to her friend meeting her amber eyes with her own silver ones. “Come up soon, okay? I miss you…” Blake’s heart fluttered in her chest and she couldn’t help but smile. 

“I miss you, too. Promise, I’ll come up soon to see you and Zwei.” The faunus reached up and wrapped her arms around Ruby’s neck which the raven-red head gladly returned. “I’m really glad you came.” The younger woman chuckled lightly as they separated. 

“Anything for you, Blake.” The raven haired woman smiled enjoying the moment of comfortable silence between the two. With a sigh Ruby backed away. “See you soon.” Blake nodded, sending her friend off with a small wave before turning around to gaze at the castle. It’s lights shined brightly in the night air. It was a beautiful sight. Looking around she spied a book store just across the street and she was glad to see that it was still open.  _ A new book wouldn’t hurt. _

 

Ruby was nearing the outer ring of the city thinking about her night. Her chest was warm from the thoughts of Blake and how closely they had danced. Then her mind shifted to her and Sun. She sighed sadly.  _ Whatever makes Blake happy. _ That’s all she wanted, for Blake to be happy. 

The street she was walking down was eerily quiet and there were absolutely no patrons or stragglers roaming around. Her guard started to rise. She kept her eyes forward and maintained a steady walking pace until she saw someone walk out from an alleyway. The black hair and amber eyes were unmistakable.  _ Blake…? _ Was Ruby’s instant thought when she saw her friend walk out into her sight. The faunus was smiling at her, but the ex-Huntress knew instantly that something was  _ wrong _ . It didn’t  _ feel _ like Blake’s presence. It wasn’t  _ Blake _ . On high alert she knew that the presence she was feeling wasn’t her friend’s, it was someone else’s and then another’s. It felt vaguely familiar and Ruby’s mind was scrabbling to recognise it. Then it hit her full force.  _ Emerald… _

The green haired woman was perched on the roof of a building just behind her target, concentrating on keeping the illusion stable so that Mercury would have ample time to attack. She could see him, tiptoeing just across the street from her her hiding spot. In a snap second he was charging the target with quick speeds, jumping into the air so that he may land a kick against their prey. Just before he could make contact the stranger turned so swiftly that Emerald’s eyes barely caught the movement. They latched onto the grey haired man’s offending leg and threw him across the street into a building as if he were weightless. Emerald was shocked, they weren’t suppose to see him and now that she was distracted her illusion fell. “Shit.” She cursed under her breath. 

Mercury was on his feet in no time charging the target once more. Lifting his leg to land an attack only have them dodge, twisting around to connect an elbow with his ribs, once again sending him flying across the cobblestone street. His body skid along the ground until he forced himself to a stop. Emerald’s red eyes watched as Mercury coughed up liquid onto the ground. Blood dripped from his lips as he struggled to stand.  _ His aura is down already? He only got hit once!  _ The green haired woman’s mind screeched as she attempted to alter the target’s mind as a distraction. 

Her plan was for naught, barely blinking as the target flashed in her partner’s direction and landed their foot directly on his knee. The joint snapped backwards in the opposite direction causing Mercury to cry out in pain. They took him by his hair and slammed his head repeatedly into the cobblestone. 

Emerald shot from her position, charging the target as fast as she possibly could, but they were far faster than her. They turned gripping her throat easily, cutting off her air supply as they slammed her into the ground as well, with such force that the ground caved in beneath her. The thief could feel just how low their aura was just from one attack from this stranger. This was bad. Emerald scratched at the person’s wrist in a sad attempt to release their hand from her throat, but it was no use. She was picked up and flung into a nearby brick building, the wall shattering from impact. Her spine cracked horribly, every rib that snapped sent shockwaves of pain through her as she landed roughly on the floor of the establishment. 

With blurry vision, Emerald attempted to stand up, using the wall as support as she walked to the whole in the wall. Red eyes gazed along the street only to find that their target was nowhere to be seen. With a pained curse, the woman limped over to her friend, one hand holding her side. “C’mon Mercury…” 

“That bitch…” The grey haired man grunted as Emerald helped him stand, supporting most of his weight. “Cinder won’t be happy about this.” 

“No, she won’t.” 

 

Blake exited the store hours later having put in an order for some book that she had wanted since they were out of stock. She had a pleasant conversation about one of her favorite books, Ninjas of Love, with the owner. Time had passed so quickly that she thought mere minutes had gone by rather than hours. 

Out on the street the faunus began her walk back to the party that must have been nearing its end by now. The others must be worrying about where she is, so it was best for her not to dottle. Overall, her night was rather pleasant. Blake got to hang out with her newer friends, got to see Ruby and dance with her. What made her night the most was especially Ruby’s presence. Her just knowing that Ruby was close by made her feel relaxed, made her feel  _ safe _ . It made being around the smell of alcohol more tolerable.

Her hand reached up to touch the necklace Ruby had given her only to realize that she hadn’t put it on for the Ball. With a frown Blake let out a sigh, she really wanted to wear it tonight, but must’ve gotten distracted by her nervousness. Letting her arm fall back to her side her amber eyes gazed at the castle that was continuing to get closer and closer only to feel an instant, sharp sting in her neck. With a jolt her hand came up to the offended area only to pull out a small dart-like object. As she stared, her vision blurred, her legs became weak making her stumble slightly. The feeling of her aura being drained was what causing her to panic, but she was too weak to even scream for help, With heavy breaths the faunus slumped against a nearby building, slowly sliding down until she was sitting on the ground. 

Blake’s ears heard footsteps approaching her and her nose detected a painfully familiar scent, but no matter how much she attempted to panic, her body refused. He bent down, taking her jaw into his hand making her face him, look at him. “It’s funny, darling.” Adam laughed. “Thinking you could run from me.” Soon enough his voice faded as well as the rest of the world as Blake fell into unconsciousness.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally out! Sorry it took so long for the update, but at least I haven't abandoned this wonderful story. I'll try to get the next one out sooner, but don't hold me to it. Hope you guys enjoy and I apologize for the cliffhanger...not really!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! If you have a problem with harm to the eyes, be wary! (I have a friend with this paranoia so I'm just making sure.) Also trigger warning for Rape.

Ruby awoke abruptly, shooting up from her position on her bed with a gasp. She didn’t have a bad dream, so why had she awoken so unpleasantly? There was something  _ wrong,  _ very  _ wrong.  _ Deep down she could feel it, sense it. The fear, unease, horror, cold, desperation, and pain. “Blake?” Came out her whisper. Using her aura as a way to locate the faunus, Ruby knew that Blake wasn’t at the castle, she was somewhere else, close to the other side of the mountain. More than anything Blake was scared and there could only be one reason. The ex-Huntress’s heart stopped in her chest, gulping down the bile rising in her throat. “Oh no…”

 

It was all happening over again. All the torture, the feelings of disgust, the pain, and feeling utterly worthless and helpless. Blake’s mind was rampant with depreciating thoughts as one of the higher up White Fang members repeatedly slammed into her body, gripping onto her raven locks tightly. Her cries of protest were muffled by the cloth that they had gagged her with, tears flowing freely down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. Clenching her eyes shut, she bit harder into the cloth. 

When she had woken up in a similar stone cell, stark naked and hanging by some binding held up by a hook, she had cracked. Adam had screamed and yelled at her for being a traitorous bitch. All the progress Blake had made disappeared in that moment of realization that she was back in this hellhole with a monster. Her aura wasn’t regenerating at all so she had now way to fight back, the faunus was helpless. The man had almost instantly taken a whip to her back leaving new gashes in her skin. After he was content with the raven haired woman’s beating he sought to use her for his relief. Adam tied her down on a table, each arm tied to a corner, legs bent upward with ankles strapped to the wooden tabletop. “You’re an idiot. You know that?” Adam growled. “Nobody runs from  _ me _ , Blake! Especially not you!” He delivered a slap to her cheek. “Hopefully, you’ll learn from your mistakes.” 

After he had his fill he sent in his Lieutenants for their turns. Each of the six positioned her differently. Hands and knees, against the wall, sideways, and where she was now was bent over the table, being ravished by a bulky man that relished in leaving bruises on her skin. Blake felt disgusting, worthless, and in that moment she had wished she were dead. There was the faint feeling of relief when the male faunus had finished, pulling his trousers back up before placing Blake back on the hook, left to hang there until Adam was to return. As he left Blake stared at the black White Fang logo tattooed on his shoulder. 

The woman had told Ruby of them, that you could distinguish a faunus’ rank by the tattoo on his shoulder. The grunts didn’t have any sort of markings, Lieutenants had the symbol in black and the Generals had red. The night she had discussed their revolting use of her body, Ruby had held her so close, completely silent as she listened to Blake’s story. She had broke down after recalling the tale and Ruby simply cradled the back of her head, gently caressing her ears while rubbing her back. The faunus remembers it so well that for a moment she forgot where she was, reveling in the memory only to feel stinging gashes on her back instead of gliding fingers. 

Letting out a pitiful whimper, Blake began to cry even harder. Sobbing passed her gag, feeling the large, hot tears roll down her cheeks. “Ruvfy...Ruvfy…” The gag muffled Ruby’s name as she repeated it like a mantra into the quiet air of her damp, dark cell. With her entire body quivering, her mind begged.  _ Save me… _

 

Sun was currently walking down the hallway to the exit to the garden. His blond monkey tail swaying with the occasional curl behind him. He was on edge, something definitely didn’t feel quite right. Walking out the double doors, his blue eyes spotted Yang and Weiss sitting at their table. The others were out doing errands most likely. Ren and Nora were probably at the forge, attempting to fill all the increasing weapon orders. Jaune and Pyrrha were spending time with Sky before coming to work the night shifts. Neptune was off doing Neptune things that definitely didn’t involve any water. Hitting on the maids around the castle no doubt. 

Walking over to his friends, he spoke. “Heya, guys. Have you seen Blake lately?” The married couple eyed each other curiously. 

“Actually, no. We haven’t. Not since the Ball, and that was, what? Two days ago now?” Yang answered, perplexed. 

“I saw her leave with someone. They were in a red and white attire.” Weiss recalled watching the two walk out, mostly how happy the faunus seemed when they left together. 

“I didn’t know that she even left. I had to babysit Neptune the entire time.” The monkey faunus sighed. “That was her friend though. The one she talked about? They were there, I assume that’s who she left with then.” 

“So, maybe she’s just spending some time with her friend. I’m sure she took her horse-” The blonde brawler began only for Sun to cut her off.

“Her horse is still in the stable and as far as I know Blake never mentioned that she was gonna leave for a few days. She would’ve told us so we wouldn’t worry  _ and _ she didn’t pack any clothes, so I don’t see how she could spend a few days away without something more than a dress.” 

“Blake was with this person for a long time, Sun. I’m sure she has at least a few different outfits still there in case she stayed a little longer than planned.” Weiss suggested, talking with one of her hands. With a heavy sigh Sun lowered his head. 

“I can’t help but feel like something isn’t right.” 

“Look, if this is bothering you  _ that _ much, then we can ride up and find that cabin she talked about. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind that we came to make sure she was alright, considering she gave us no warning whatsoever.” Yang unwrapped one of her arms from her wife’s shoulders to stand up. 

“Really?” He instantly brightened up, a smile forming on his lips. 

“Yes, Sun. Really.” Lilac gazed over at the Schnee who was still seated, sipping on a cup of coffee. “I’ll be back pretty late, love.” Bending down she delivered a chaste kiss to her white haired lover who happily reciprocated. 

“Be careful you two.” Weiss warned as the two blondes walked off leaving her alone in the garden to finish her steaming beverage. 

 

Adam came and took her off the hook, only to retie her hands behind her back and her ankles together. Roughly, the man gripped her by the hair, dragging her out of the cell into a new, bigger room. The stone ground scraped and scratched at her naked flesh as she weakly attempted to struggle against the man’s grip on her hair. He was silent the entire time.

Finally, she was released abruptly which caused the back of her head to smack against the floor, momentarily blurring her vision. Blake rolled over onto her side for a while, just until the dizziness faded and then positioned herself sitting on her calves with her head hung low. She didn’t want to look up, scared of seeing all the half-faces, half-masks that had violated her body more times than one, but also feeling ashamed and disgusting. The gashes on her back had stopped bleeding long ago, she couldn’t really dictate time without any light other than from the lanterns and candles. Dried blood caked her skin, spanning from her shoulder blades to her feet where it had dripped off onto the floor while she hung. “You, watch the door and see to it that the grunts don’t interrupt.”

“Yes, Sir.” Blake knew the voice belonged to a Lieutenant, hearing his footsteps retreat out of the room as a door closed behind him.

“Look at me, Blake.” Golden eyes clenched shut, body quivering. “I said look at me!” Adam screamed before grabbing a fistful of her hair and forcing her to face him. Pitifully she opened her eyes to look at him. His lips were twisted in a snarl. “You could’ve avoided all this. All you had to do was  _ stay _ , but no. You didn’t like our ‘methods’. It seems to me you’ve lost your way, you’ve grown a weak spot for the humans.” A dark chuckle escaped him. “I should’ve seen this coming though. You never did like participating in our raids, but when you did you didn’t want anyone to be harmed. Pathetic.” A quick, back-handed slap was delivered to her cheek causing a cry to escape her throat, muffled by her gag. Gripping her jaw, Adam yet again forced her to look at him as a red mark developed on her cheek. “Don’t worry. You’ll have  _ plenty _ of time to make up for it.” 

The redheaded bull pulled her up so she was on her knees, her face level with the crotch of his trousers. She noticed that already his manhood was ready for action, and considering her position,  _ attention. _ The remaining Lieutenants were all gathered around waiting for the show to start most likely enjoying the scene already. Adam pulled down his pants and underclothes allowing his erection to spring free from its confinement. Pulling the gag from her mouth so that it lay along her neck, he thrust his hips forward slightly. “C’mon, you know what you gotta do.” With ears laid completely flat, Blake hesitated, gulping down the rising bile in her throat. 

No wanting to add to all her current pain, she leaned closer taking the tip in her mouth, experimentally sucking. This wasn’t an often way Adam got pleasured, in fact, he had always went straight to her womanhood rather than forcing her to pleasure him in other ways. Slowly, she built up a rhythm, only taking so much in as to not choke on the length. Tears collected at the corners of her eyes. This was humiliating, it made her feel less than dirt, like she was nothing. Her skin prickled with goosebumps, crawling with disgust of herself.  _ You weakling, fight back! Bite him! You have the most sensitive part of him right between your fangs! Bite him! _ Her mind was roaring at her to fight back the faunus’ body refused to respond. Blake didn’t want to be hit anymore, she was giving up all over again, losing her will to fight this monster she had once thought she cared for.

To her surprise Adam put his hand at the back of her skull and forced his entire length into her mouth and down her throat, instantly causing the raven haired woman to choke. Pulling away to cough and regain some air, Adam silently put her back to the task with a growl. He continuously forced himself all the way in, refusing Blake the ability to breathe, gagging her constantly, but it wasn’t like she had anything to throw up. Her tears were falling once again. “Oh, Blake. This could’ve been different.” To her shock Adam ran a  _ gentle _ hand through her hair, a small smile on his lips, voice tender. “We could’ve done this together, in private just the two of us. I would’ve treated you like my Queen.” He let out a few sighs of pleasure with each pump into the feline faunus’ mouth. “We could’ve had a family together, Blake. Children of our own that could take our place in the Fang when we passed.” 

It hurt, knowing that she had wished for that in the early days of being together with him, but after everything she’s suffered through she wanted to disappear and hoped that this bastard would get what he deserved. She wanted the ‘making love’ that Ruby had talked about, wanted a happy family with children, a family that she never got to have as a child, she wanted someone who treated her like their everything and that she loved with all her heart, but it would  _ never _ be this monster.  _ Ruby...Ruby...Please, save me... _

His pace began to quicken, muttered curses escaping his lips as he neared the edge. When it hit, he released his hot seed into her mouth, the bitter taste making her cringe. When he had released all of it he pulled out of her mouth. Before she could even attempt to spit the slimy liquid out Adam had a death grip on her jaw, forcing it to stay shut. The man fixed his trousers and bent down so that he was face to face with her. In a growl he ordered, “Swallow it.” With a whimper, Blake shook her head only to feel his fingers dig farther into her cheeks as hot tears and a bit of his release dripped from her chin. “ _ Swallow. _ ” Bringing his face a few inches closer. “ _ It. _ ” With a few deep breaths to calm herself down a small scowl formed on her face. Taking in a large breath through her nose she spat Adam’s seed all over his face and mask, causing the man to back away in shock, frantically wiping at his face. 

“Fuck you…” Blake rasped, followed by spitting whatever was left in her mouth onto the stone floor. In the corners of her eyes she saw a few of the Lieutenants step forward only for Adam to stop them. 

“I’ll handle this!” He roared at his subordinates who slowly stepped back into their places. He had cleaned the majority of his face clean with his sleeve, stepping up to Blake and struck her temple with his fist, knocking her to the ground. Wincing, the feline faunus looked up at Adam as he loomed over her. His boot connected with her rib cage, then her stomach. Kicking her multiple times until she was a sobbing mess on the floor, curling into herself, using her shins and arms to shield her midsection from his brutality. “I’m getting tired of your bullshit, Blake!” Reaching down, he pulled her up into a sitting position by one of her cat ears causing her to cry out. “It seems you’ve grown a little brave since you ran off.” Pulling a dagger from his belt with a ‘ _ shing!’ _ . “Why don’t I remedy that?” The silver dagger glinted as it drew near her feline appendage that was held hostage by his hand. With quickened breaths and quivering muscles, Blake clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the blade to slice into the sensitive skin of her ear. 

 

Yang and Sun rode up to the cabin that they had finally found after a couple hours of searching. It was dark now, almost pitch black if it weren’t for the broken moon in the sky giving the world a little light. The establishment was quaint with a single candlelight shining through a part between the blinds. “Think this is it?” Questioned the monkey faunus to with Yang rolled her eyes good naturedly.

“No, this can’t possibly be it. There definitely has to be another cabin around here somewhere, where it can be attacked by  _ Grimm _ , on  _ Mountain Glenn _ no less.” Her voice was thick with sarcasm to which Sun pouted. 

“You don’t have to be mean about it.” He mumbled, dismounting his horse with Yang in tow. The two walked up to the door and gave it a good knock. After moments with no answer Yang hollered. 

“Blake, it’s us! Are you in there?” Silence. Sun looked at Yang worriedly, reaching for the doorknob only for the door to creak open on its own, they had failed to notice that it wasn’t latched shut. Casting curious yet worried glances at one another they entered slowly. 

“Blake?” Sun called with no answer. Looking around the small home they noticed some clothes were strewn in different directions on the floor. Otherwise, it was relatively clean, no fire was lit in the fireplace, the floors were cleared of any dirt, but the bed was a bit of a mess. 

“Wow, this seems pretty cozy. I wouldn’t have blamed her if she decided to just stay here instead of in the castle.” Yang thought out loud, lilac eyes looking over everything. 

“What? You don’t like living in the huge, glamorous castle?” The faunus joked, checking out some papers on the desk near the bed. There didn’t seem to be anything worthy of his attention.

“It’s comfortable enough, but me and Rubes always preferred our cabin home on Patch. The smaller the house the less lonely you’ll feel, unless you actually live alone of course.” Her eyes softened as she touched the fur covers strewn around on the bed. “Ruby would’ve liked this place.” 

“I’m sure she would’ve.” Casting a smile at his friend Sun scratched his neck. “It doesn’t look like she’s here though.” 

“Maybe her and,  _ whoever _ this friend of her’s is, went for a walk.” 

“Maybe-” The two Hunters jumped when something started moving underneath the pelts. Taking some cautious steps back they watched a furry creature pop out from its hiding place, regarding them with a curious look, sniffing around in the air. 

“Aw! Look at him, Sun! Isn’t he just the cutest thing ever!? Hi!” Yang was instantly fawning over the groggy corgi who relished the attention she was giving to his ears. Wagging his little nub he stuck out his tongue. “I haven’t seen you in a while! Have you been a good boy!? Oh, who am I kidding? Of course you have!” 

“Why didn’t they take the dog with them?” Sun muttered to himself.

“They didn’t want to disturb this cutie pie's sleep. Isn’t that right?” Picking up the corgi, Yang scratched frantically at Zwei’s white stomach causing his back leg to kick violently. “We can just leave a note, so that whenever Blake and her friend return she’ll know that we came by to check on her. Besides I already know that Weiss is sitting in bed, grumbling about me not being there to warm her up and hold her until she falls asleep.” Reluctantly putting the companion down, she walked over to the desk using one of the blank papers and a quill to write down their message. 

 

_ Blake, _

_ We came by to make sure you were okay. We haven’t seen you since the night of the Ball and you left without giving any of us notice so we got worried. Please, come back to the castle soon so we can know that you’re perfectly safe. _

_ Yang and Sun _

 

Yang nodded with satisfaction, but Sun didn’t feel any better, or less anxious. He still felt that something was wrong that Blake wasn’t okay somehow. Possibly, her friend had hurt her or something, he didn’t know, but he certainly wanted to find out. “Let’s go Sun. It’s pretty late already and I’m getting tired.” Even though he didn’t want to leave just yet, he followed Yang out of the little cabin after she said ‘goodbye’ to Zwei, making sure to close the door all the way behind him. Hopping on their mounts they made their way back to the city.

  
  


Blake’s golden orbs were clenched shut waiting for the pain associated with her sensitive year being sliced into, but it didn’t come, at least before it could the sound of the door opening could be heard. Risking a peek she saw the Lieutenant who was suppose to be keeping watch. “Sir…” He grunted, holding his stomach as blood steadily poured from a wound. “In...truder-” He quickly fell to the ground motionless, a thick red pool forming under him. The wound was more of a hole going straight through his stomach and out his back. Everyone in the room was silent before grabbing onto their weapons. 

Steps echoed as they entered the room, the slight clanking sound of armor could be heard. A figure stepped out of the shadows and through the doorway to reveal themselves. Their armor was black with red, rose-like designs engraved into the breastplate, jagged edges gave it a very intimidating look. One of the claw-like gauntlets was covered in blood from the fingers all the way to the elbow, dripping from the fingertips to the floor. Behind them flowed a tattered red hood that was pulled up over their face, hiding it from view. It reminded Blake of Ruby’s red hood in the castle paintings of her.  _ Ruby?  _ Hope began to form in the raven haired woman’s chest causing more tears to form in her eyes. Adam snarled. “What are you idiots doing!? Get her!” 

Without hesitation the other White Fang members charged the intruder, drawing their swords from the scabbards at their hips. When they got in close enough to strike, it was as if Ruby blurred with how swiftly she moved. Blood splattered in many different directions, even going far enough to reach Adam and splashed a little on Blake’s midriff. Ruby was crouched in a post-attack position, a large, bloodied scythe held over her shoulders. The Lieutenants were still for a few seconds before finally the top have of one disconnected from the rest of his body. Then another separated into two, and then three, one fell into perfect halves on the ground guts falling from within him.

Slowly, Ruby straightened into a normal standing position as Adam released Blake’s ear, throwing her to the ground. “Stay down while I handle this nuisance.” He ordered under his breath. Taking a few steps in Ruby’s direction the Fang member materialized his weapon in his hand. The black handled chokuto with a red colored blade, Wilt. Charging at one another they locked, the blade of Ruby’s scythe against Wilt which was sending off little sparks from the contact. Both their arms quivered with force attempting to overpower the other, only to push each other back.

Ruby charged forward, using her semblance to enhance her speed, clashing with Adam. The two parried, blocked and dodged the multiple attacks they were attempting to land. Blake watched every little movement her eyes could track, Adam was faring too well for her liking. If he went all out, her raven-red headed friend could get hurt. She had to get loose. Struggling against her binds she could feel the rope digging into her skin. 

Clashes rang out with every attack, neither one of them was slowing down, though it seemed as if Ruby was holding back. When there was a pause in their battle, Blake’s eyes were caught by the glowing chokuto in Adam’s grip. Fear welled up.  _ No, Ruby! _ The bull faunus took a readied stance as the ex-Huntress used her semblance to spring forward, scythe at the ready. Adam sliced through the air and Blake looked on in horror as Ruby collided with the ground, skidding to a stop, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. “No!” She cried out, struggling harder at the ropes that ties her down. 

Her panic was eased slightly when Ruby began to get up, although slowly. Her armored hand held a large gash in her side that was bleeding with a vengeance. With a swing of his blade, Adam flung her blood to the ground with a cringe worthy sound. The two fighters stood in their spots for minutes before Ruby’s scythe disappeared while still holding her wound. The wind around the armored woman began to change, causing her hood to swish around behind her, then she was suddenly everywhere around Adam. Dealing blows to his body with her hands, completely ignoring his blade, dodging his slashes instead of blocking.  _ She figured it out. He powers up using the force that the blade absorbs. _ Blake thought with some relief. 

The White Fang commander was growing increasingly frustrated, not able to land a single hit on his opponent, or even see their movements soon enough. When there was a break in the blows against his body, the air was knocked out of him as he was kicked to the floor, landing roughly on his back. Before he could recover a metal boot slammed down onto Wilt with enough force to shatter it. The pieces of the red blade dissolved into the air as Adam screamed out in agony. Weapons are a manifestation of a person’s soul, so when they are broken they damage to Aura immensely.

The other boot planted itself on his chest, not allowing his lungs to expand, his hands gripped on attempting to remove it, but it wouldn’t budge. Ruby bent down over him and muttered. “A gift. From me.” Pulling her fist back. “To you.” Slamming the fist down onto Adam’s mask, he cried out as the broken pieces dug into his eye. He squirmed for a few moments until Ruby stood up and got off of him. Holding his face he roared at the ex-Huntress. 

“You  _ bitch _ ! If you’re going to kill me just do it already!”

“As much as I’d like to, it’s not my life to take.” Even though Ruby was about to walk away, Adam wasn’t done talking. Looking over with his one good eye, he started to scream at Blake. 

“Blake! You can’t run from me! I’ll find you, I’ll  _ always _ find you! You can’t hide from me, Blake!” He began to laugh hysterically, which was wearing on Ruby’s nerves. The feline faunus quivered in fear, her nerves were too worked up. 

“Would you just shut  _ up _ ?” The raven-red head growled, kicking Adam’s temple to quickly silence him. Clutching at her wound, Ruby hurried over to Blake. “Oh, Blake.” Untying her faunus friend, she looked over her wounds as Blake shuddered, using her arms to cover herself. She was riddled with bruises, a few welts, then there were the open wounds on her back. 

“Ruby!” The faunus sobbed, both from her trauma and from the sheer relief of Ruby being right in front of her. “I was so-, he did-, they  _ all _ did-” Ruby delicately wrapped her arms around her friend, cradling her head as the faunus buried her face in her neck. 

“Shh, I know, I know. I’m so sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.” Tears burnt silver eyes. “Dammit. I should’ve gotten here before they…” Releasing a shaky sigh, Ruby held her closer. “I’m so sorry. Let’s get you out of here and back to the castle. I’m sure everyone is worried.” Unclipping her hood, she wrapped it around Blake’s nude form before hefting her up bridal style. Blake had a death grip on Ruby’s armor, not wanting to be too far away from her safety. 

The ex-Huntress walked through the fort that Blake had been held in, the raven haired faunus noticed that all the grunt members were laying on the ground or slumped over against a wall. Ruby saw this and explained. “They aren’t dead. I didn't kill them because they weren’t the ones who, did all of this to you.” Ruby had trouble saying the last part, holding onto the faunus in her arms a little tighter. Personally, Blake didn’t mind the stronger hold, but her laid open back protested slightly with a sting, causing her to wince. The grip loosened in response. “Just relax. We’ll be at the castle in no time.”

Once at the exit to the fort grounds, Ruby was off, dashing through the mountain at a blinding speed. Blake felt like she was flying, and she grew nostalgic of the night Ruby first rescued her, this feeling of weightlessness. Needless to say Blake relaxed just enough to where she didn’t comprehend what was around her, closing her eyes and leaning her head against her savior’s chest. 

 

Blake didn’t come back to reality until they were climbing into her bedroom window, which was several stories from the ground, but it was Ruby, so she didn’t question it. It was still dark out, so it must not have taken so long to get back, especially with her friend’s speed. Gently, she was laid down on the plush bed, much softer, and much more aromatic that the damp cell she had been trapped in. Reluctantly, she released Ruby, who headed to Blake’s private wash room. “I’ll start up a bath so we can get you washed up.” 

She waited silently until Ruby returned, though not being able to see her friend put her on edge, she managed. Ruby pulled the hood off of Blake, who became very aware that she was naked and felt a little self-conscious, even a little disgusted when remembering what her body had recently went through. Her ears flattened as Ruby picked her up. “C’mon beautiful.” She felt very far from beautiful.

Entering the wash room, the metal tub was already full with steaming water. Slowly and delicately, Ruby placed the older woman in the tub. “Think you can handle it for a minute or two while I take my armor off?” Blake quietly nodded, lips twitching when Ruby gave her a small grin. 

The raven haired faunus worked slowly, lathering her skin with soap, getting her hair wet. As she did this she watched as Ruby peeled off her armor piece by piece revealing a white tunic underneath. First the gauntlets, then the metal around her biceps, the entire breastplate and torso guard. When her upper body was freed of the confining protection, Blake dropped her soap which quickly sank to the bottom of the tub. There was blood staining a large portion of the cotton shirt where Ruby had been injured, Blake had completely forgotten. “You’re hurt.” The faunus stated. 

“Yeah, nothing to worry about though. It’ll heal in no time.” Ruby spoke as if it was of no concern, but Blake couldn’t help but feel guilty as her friend started to remove the armor around her lower half. 

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault.” Amber eyes cast down in shame, gazing at her reflection in the water. 

“It isn’t your fault, Blake. I underestimated him and I got injured. It happens. I don’t blame you, and you shouldn’t blame yourself. It was my choice to go save you and take that risk.” Taking off the last piece, Ruby threw off her tunic, leaving her upper body in just her chest wrappings. Blake looked up to argue, but was instantly silenced when seeing the sleek skin of Ruby’s back glisten in the candlelight. A few scars marred the plain of flesh, but that was of no surprise. Gulping, Blake busied herself with cleaning once again, letting the argument die off. 

The raven-red head reached into a small cabinet and withdrew some medical supplies, what looked like a salve, needle and thread, and some bandages. Pulling a chair over next to the tub, she sat down with a sigh. From what Blake could see, the wound had stopped bleeding and was barely beginning to heal, positioned along the right side of her midriff. For a moment she let her eyes roam over Ruby’s toned abdomen, the defined lines of her abs rippled as she moved but what caught her attention most was the tattoo on the left half of her stomach. It was what looked like a flaming rose that was colored in red. She took a wet cloth and wiped up the drying brood from her skin. “Can you hand me the soap for a moment?” Ruby’s voiced pulled Blake’s attention away from her stomach. With a nod, the faunus handed the bar of soap over. 

She watched as her friend gingerly ran the bar over the wound, wincing at the burning sensation, a hiss escaping her mouth. Ruby handed the bar back before opening the jar of salve. Taking some on her fingers she spread the ointment over the entirety of the gash, before starting on her stitches, pulling the skin back together. Occasionally, the ex-Huntress’ face would scrunch up painfully only for the look of pain to fade as soon as it had appeared. When the gash was stitched completely shut, Ruby began to wrap her torso with bandages. Blake had washed her hair while Ruby treated herself. “You’re next.” Ruby took the soap and helped Blake lean forward so that she could run the soap over the nearly scabbing slashes on the faunus’ back. The faunus winced as well from the sting that came with the cleaning. After Ruby was finished, she rinsed Blake’s back and returned to her chair in wait for her friend to finish cleaning the dried blood from her legs and feet.

When she was clean, she stayed still as her mind raced with everything that had happened since she woke up in that cell. Gradually, Blake curled into herself, wrapping her arms around her knees and laying her head down on top of them. Letting out a small whimper, Ruby reached forward to pet the area between her friend’s ears. Blake’s lips quivered as she struggled to hold back the oncoming tears. “Don’t look at me. Please.” 

“Blake…” Ruby’s face twisted with concern, pushing herself off the chair to kneel on the ground next to the tub.

“I feel so filthy, disgusting-”

“Stop.” 

“-used, weak-” Blake continued.

“I said stop.” Ruby stated more firmly.

“- _ worthless _ -”

“Blake!” A hand slammed onto the side of the tub, making Blake flinch and pull away from Ruby’s hand that was resting between her ears. Her body began to quiver. Amber eyes fearfully opened and peeked at the younger woman who had a look of mild rage on her face, but upon seeing the frightened state that the faunus was in, she relaxed, her face quickly changing to worry, eyes softening in apology. “Come here…” Ruby sighed, reaching her arms out slowly. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.” After a few beats, Blake calmed enough to slide over into her friend’s embrace. Ruby held her gently, delivering a light kiss to her wet temple. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want you to  _ ever _ talk about yourself like that again. Understand?” 

“I understand.” Blake nodded with a whisper. 

“You should get out, the water is getting cold.” Silently, Ruby stood walking over to the wall where a few towels were folded on a counter just below the cabinet that she had withdrawn the medical supplies from. She brought two back, laying one of them on the seat that she had previously occupied. Holding one out, she kindly looked away with her eyes closed. Blake lifted herself out of the tub, taking the towel and wrapping it around her middle. Ruby picked up the other towel and began to dry her friend’s raven locks, making sure to gently dry her ears as well which were attempting to flick water off of them.

_ This shouldn’t have happened. I should’ve been there to protect her, but look at her. She was doing so well, she was recovering, but now she’s back to how she was. I swore to her that I’d keep her safe. Some friend I am. I failed.  _ Ruby’s eyes closed, head tilting down with a sour look, self-loathing swimming around in her chest. Blake had her eyes down the whole time Ruby was drying her hair, only looking up when the raven-red head’s motions slowed to a stop. She watched as silver eyes opened halfway, but they looked glazed over, like Ruby was somewhere else. “Ruby?” Silver eyes looked up, clearing up and returning to the present. The younger woman let a grin come to her lips. 

“Let’s put some of this on your wounds before you get dressed.” Putting down the towel she picked up the salve, motioning for Blake to turn around and reveal her back. The faunus moved the towel so that it was only covering her front so that Ruby had access. The ointment was cold when it met her skin, making her flinch minutely. Ruby’s delicate fingers traced each wound lightly, counting each one in her head.  _ Three...four...five... _ With each one, a scowl grew on the younger woman’s features. A total of eight lashings were on Blake’s back. 

When Ruby finished she made sure to get rid of her scowl before Blake saw it. “I’ll clean up in here. Think you can go into the other room and get dressed on your own?” Instinctively, the faunus’ hand reached out to grasp onto the younger woman’s wrist. She didn’t want to be left alone again, without Ruby in her sight. 

“No! I-I need to be able to see you.” Amber eyes hesitantly looked from the ground, to Ruby’s eyes, and back again. 

“Alright, whatever you need. I’ll be quick.” Without another word, Ruby began to pick up the washroom, returning everything to its rightful place. Blake’s golden eyes never left Ruby’s form as it moved around. When everything was as it should be, the raven-red head took her friend’s hand and led her into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. “Get dressed, I’ll be right over here.” Blake’s friend walked over to the closed window with her back to the faunus. 

Silently, Blake went to getting herself clothed, grabbing numerous articles of clothing from her dresser drawers. Slipping on some smalls before pulling on a loose pair of breeches and a oversized purple tunic. Something glinted in the yellow lantern lighting, gaining the faunus’ attention. On the top of one of her dressers in front of her mirror was the necklace that Ruby made for her. The mere sight of it was enough to make tears form in her eyes, for a completely different reason than fear. It made her happy to see it, the only gift that she had ever been given out of pure friendship. A sign that Ruby cared. Looking over at the younger woman who stood staring out the window in nothing but some trousers, boots, chest bindings, and the bandages on her stomach. She could see a faint reflection of Ruby’s face, her eyes holding that same distant look like earlier. With a gulp Blake picked up the jewelry and clipped it around her neck. Taking the gem in her hand, her fingers gripped it tightly.

_ I failed, again. People got hurt when I could’ve done something. If only I was stronger, if I was faster. It’s just like back then...those kids... _ Ruby thought distantly, raising her hands so she could look down at her palms.  _ All the blood... _ She tensed up when she felt something against her back, bringing her back to reality. Blake was cuddling up against her back, nuzzling her face between the younger woman’s shoulder blades.  _ No more. I won’t make that mistake again. Blake will not end up like those kids, I won’t let her. I won’t fail her and I refuse to lose her. _

Ruby turned around circling her arms around Blake’s waist, while Blake wrapped her own around Ruby’s neck. The faunus buried her nose into the other woman’s neck, taking in her scent as she held on tight. One of her hands traveled up into Ruby’s feathery hair who was nuzzling damp, black locks, sighing into the faunus’ ear. The firm hold that Ruby had on Blake didn’t make the faunus nervous in the least, she felt safe there and the thought of it being anyone else holding her was unthinkable. “Please. Tell me you’re not leaving.” She knew that it was a risk for Ruby to be in the castle, but she deserved to be selfish. 

“I’m not leaving,” Ruby mumbled, holding her friend a little tighter which Blake responded in kind, “I’m not going anywhere.”   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one for you! I got this out pretty quickly, even I'm a little shocked. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I always love reading your comments. I also will answer any questions you may have regarding the story or characters, and please share your thoughts on what might happen in future chapters! See you all in the next one!


	15. Chapter 15

“Ruby, where are you taking me?” Yang chuckled as her younger sister dragged her from her party and out to the garden. It was her twentieth birthday and the blond had been having a very good time until her sister decided to steal her for a moment. 

“I’ve got something for you.” The excitable raven-red head shot her older sister a bright smile followed by a giggle. 

“But it’s not time for presents yet. We haven’t even cut the cake.” 

“I know that. I just wanted a little alone time with my sister before she gets swarmed with presents and people.” Ruby released Yang’s hand as they entered the garden. 

“Don’t we spend a lot of time alone already?” The older sister quirked a brow to which Ruby turned around with a chuckle. 

“We do, don’t get me wrong. The problem is I wanted to give you your present now because I have to leave right after the party for a job Ozpin has me working on and I wanted to be the only one to see your face when you get it.” Yang frowned slightly.

“You’re going on a job  _ again _ ?” Ruby had been going on a lot of jobs the recent months barely having enough time to hang out with her friends or even her sister. Sure, Ruby felt bad for not being around so much, but she was the Knight-Captain and that meant she had to be almost everywhere at once. 

“Yeah, I am.” The Huntress sighed, rubbing at her face tiredly. 

“Can’t you just tell Ozpin to hold it off for one day? I’m sure you could use the rest and it’s my birthday.” Yang pouted, sticking her bottom lip out childishly. 

“I’m sorry, Yang, but I can’t. I’ll be back within a week. The sooner I leave the sooner I get it done. I promise that when I get back, we can spend an entire day together, just you and me.” Ruby’s eyes softened as she playfully punched her sister’s shoulder. “Deal?” With a long sigh, Yang nodded. 

“Deal. It better be an entire day, like all twenty-four hours of the day or I’m gonna get Yangry.” The blond threateningly pointed at Ruby who in return held her hands up defensively. 

“I  _ definitely _ wouldn’t want to be the source of the dragon’s wrath now would I?” Ruby giggled, reaching behind her back to grab at something. 

“No you wouldn’t.” Lilac eyes gazed at the box that her younger sister was now holding out to her. It was a creamy yellow colored box with a light purple ribbon tying it together. It was small enough to fit in Ruby’s hand so Yang could only assume it was jewelry related. 

“I was out one day and found this really pretty crystal that reminded me of you so I thought it would make a great present.” Ruby spoke as Yang carefully took the box into her hand, a small smile on her face. Untying the thin ribbon, the blond lifted the lid off the box and she smiled at what she saw inside. It was a yellow crystal pendant in the shape of her insignia with a shiny, silver chain. “I, uh, made it myself. So, do you like it?” Yang let out a laugh before wrapping Ruby up in a crushing bear hug. 

“I love it, Sis. Thank you. I really have the best little sister in all of Remnant.” The raven-red head hugged the older woman back. 

“And I’ve got the greatest big sister. Happy Birthday, Yang. I love you.” Yang hugged her tighter. 

“I love you too, Sis.” 

 

Lilac eyes fluttered open, a hand reaching up to scratch at her itchy nose. She attempted to blow some of her blond locks from her face only for them to fall right back into place. Yang frowned upon remembering her dream, wiping some tears from her face. If only she would’ve known back then that she would lose her little sister two weeks after that day.

With a yawn she rolled over hoping for her arm to circle around her lovely wife’s waist, only to find that her presence was missing from the bed. The blond’s frown deepened as she sat up to gaze around the room in hopes of spotting Weiss. When the white haired woman was nowhere to be seen Yang released a sigh. “Maybe she went to the dining hall?” 

Hopping out of the comfort of her bed, Yang stretched wearing only her underclothes. Something cold grazed over her chest prompting her to look down. The necklace. Her chest began to ache, constricting painfully. Slowly, Yang reached up to wrap her hand around the crystal letting out a small breath. “Good morning Rubes.” She whispered, planting a small kiss to the necklace before getting into some proper clothes so that she may search around for her lovely Ice Queen.

Walking out of her room, Yang made her way to the dining room which was basically a really big mess hall where everyone convenes for their three meals a day. Many of the people who don’t like crowds usually go way before the rush or way after for some peaceful meals on their own. Blake was like that most of the time. Many of the group members would find her eating by herself, quietly reading in her own little world.  _ I wonder if she’s returned yet. _

The blonde brawler entered the dining hall and to her surprise Blake was sitting at one of the tables with the white haired Schnee sitting right next to her. They seemed to be talking about something as Yang walked over, curious as to Blake’s whereabouts the past few days. She didn’t look like she was hurt or anything, no signs of physical wounds, but there was something different about her. The faunus’ posture was off, shoulders slumped, face uninterested, ears flicking constantly, and she just seemed to be focusing on everything that wasn’t the conversation. “Morning you two.” She said, taking a seat next to her wife. 

“Good morning, Yang.” Weiss gave the blond a short peck on the lips.

“Morning.” Blake responded quietly. 

“What are you gals chatting about? Wait! Let me guess,” Yang leaned forward placing her chin in her hand before speaking, “How good I am in bed.” A pale hand instantly connected with one of the woman’s cheeks. 

“No you  _ oaf _ . We were talking about some books that we surprisingly have in common.” Weiss’ blue eyes glared at her lover who simply smiled back. 

“Books, yeah,  _ great. _ So Blake, where you been?” The faunus tensed up at the question. 

“I-I um, went to visit my friend.” Amber eyes were avoiding contact with the two other pairs, staring down at her folded hands that were on top of the table. It struck Yang that she looked a little, scared, by the question, but let it slip. 

“See, I knew Sun was worrying for no reason.” Yang bumped her shoulder with Weiss’ who again gave her lover a pointed stare. “Did you get our note in the cabin?” A raven brow quirked. 

“You went to the cabin?” The faunus questioned, silently thanking the fact that Ruby wasn’t there if they had gone up to the little home. 

“Then I guess you  _ didn’t  _ get our note.” The blond chuckled. “Sun was almost freaking out about where you were.” 

“I’m sorry I caused you all grief.” 

“No worries. We’re your friends, it’s our right to worry about you.” Weiss remarked, grinning at Blake who could barely return a grin of her own.

“Thanks.” Came her mumbled reply. 

“You should find Sun and let him know you’re alright. I’m not sure where he is at the moment, but you could try the stable, or even the courtyard.” 

“I’ll look for him later, I have to head back to my room for a little bit.” The faunus stood up from her spot, timidly putting a strand of hair behind her ear. She was about to leave before the Schnee spoke, having seen Blake’s plate was still rather full.

“Blake, you hardly ate anything. Don’t you want to finish your meal?” 

“No…” Amber eyes glanced interested at the plate of food, shifting to regard the others. “I lost my appetite.” 

“Actually, Blake, there is something I’d like to ask of you.” Yang spoke up before the faunus could walk off and disappear. The raven haired woman turned around, gazing at the blond with opac curiosity. She really just wanted to get back to her room. 

“Yes?”

 

Ruby sat on the edge of Blake’s plush bed that had been made that morning after a long conversation about how the faunus ended up in the hands of her tormenter. The whole situation angered the ex-Huntress, but one small detail stood out in particular. Blake had said she remembered something pricking her neck before she passed out and also mentioned that her aura had taken until last night, while she was asleep, to regenerate itself.  _ It sounds just like what happened to me that day… _

Silver eyes cast down to her unoccupied hand, the other currently giving Zwei some affection, observing her fingers. She blinked, letting out a gasp when all she saw around her was blood. Small, stray limbs strewn about the small room, she was in the orphanage again. It was dark, the light shining through the windows turning red as the panes had been smeared with crimson. The stench of raw flesh was sickening and Ruby felt her stomach begin to dry heave. Looking down again at her hands they were covered in various bodily substances and liquids, she could feel her own blood drain from her face. 

Suddenly, everything was really bright, clean sunlight shining in from her right. “Knight-Captain Rose!” Guards stood within the doorway, looking at her with mixtures of disgust and fear. Ruby’s silver eyes widened, heart shooting up into her throat as she began to panic. Breaths shallow and breathing erratically.

“N-No, no, I didn’t-” Ruby stumbled backwards, “Please, it wasn’t me-” Her stuttered words were cut off as the image of glowing amber eyes, filled with hatred flashed before her. Falling back on her behind, her head smacked against the ground when she collided with the floor. Her face scrunched up with mild irritation, squeezing her orbs shut before opening once more the find herself in Blake’s room again. 

Observing her surroundings with shuddering limbs, realizing that she had tripped on a chair that had been next to the bed. Zwei was at her side, whimpering with worry for his master, giving her a gently lick to her hand which made her flinch for a split second. The woman’s lungs were still pumping with effort, heart still racing in her throat prompting her to attempt gulping it down. Ruby eyes darted around hoping that the horrible scenery wouldn’t come back. Yet again, she brought her hands up to look at them.  _ What was that? _

For a few minutes she stayed like that, confused on the ground gazing at her fingers and palms. Finally, when the raven-red head felt more relaxed she got up, repositioned the chair and picked up Zwei. The canine’s stub wiggled around as he was pet along his spine. Ruby nuzzled her nose into his fur, taking in his natural scent.

The door to the room opened, revealing Blake at the doorway. The faunus quickly shut the door behind her so that Ruby was no longer visible from the hallway in case someone were passing by. The older woman rubbed at her face as she walked in giving Ruby a hug after she put the corgi down. “I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.” Blake said quietly. 

“I wasn’t going to make you wait too long. Besides I’m pretty damn fast anyway.” Ruby attempted to joke, but her friend wasn’t in the least amused. Blake’s grip loosened. 

“Are, you sure you wouldn’t prefer going back to the cabin? It’s too dangerous for you to be here.” 

“You’re worried that I’ll be caught. I know it’s a risk but unless you tell me directly that you don’t want me here, I’m not leaving this castle.” There was conviction in the way Ruby was speaking and it made Blake feel a little better. “Do you want me to leave?” 

“No.” The feline faunus’ answer was short as she drew away from Ruby to take a seat in the nearby chair. 

“Then it’s settled. I’m staying.” Ruby smiled at Blake while taking her own seat on the bed, getting a mild grin from the raven haired woman. “How are you feeling?” 

“Not great. I hate being scared of everyone around me and I don’t want to depend on you because you’ve done enough, but I just  _ can’t _ . Eating is undesired and I still feel, low. Even the others put me on edge. Yang and Weiss talked with me in the dining hall and I was tense the whole time.” She let out a frustrated sigh, wiping at her face with her hands. 

“It’s going to be a challenge Blake, but think of it this way. At least you could go around without freaking out and without me no less. You’re strong so I know you’ll get through this, you did it before. Besides, Mistral wasn’t built in a day. You’re doing as well as can be expected.” 

“Yang, asked me to be her and Weiss’ partner in the Vytal Tournament.” 

“She did, did she?” Ruby laughed. “I remember the last tournament I was in. It was me, Yang and Weiss against JNPR.” Blake’s brow quirked. 

“Juniper?” 

“It’s an acronym for Jaune’s squad. Pronounced Juniper. That’s how we’re organized, as squads or teams.” The ex-Huntress explained. “I was in R. W. Y. Pronounced rye. Most teams are of four members, but ours was three.” 

“Oh, that explains a bit. So, you’ve been in the Tournament?”

“Yeah. I won the year before everything went down. It was a close one though. Winter Schnee was the biggest challenge.” Blake’s eyes widened. “We were both in the finals and I gotta say it was a very close one, but in the end I got the upper hand and won the Vytal Tournament.” Silver eyes gleamed with nostalgia and there was a faint smile on her face, but they soon changed, eyes going far away and lips forming a frown. “You know, ever since I was young, everyone assumed I was destined for greatness, but look where I am now. They couldn’t have been more wrong.” A humorless chuckle escaped the younger woman. Blake frowned slightly. 

“Well, I think you’re pretty amazing where you are now.” Ruby met Blake’s eyes, smiling at the faunus’ compliment.

“Thanks Blake.” Was the quiet response. “What did you say? Are you going to participate?” Blake shifted nervously for a few moments before responding.

“I said I’d do it.” 

“That’s great!” Ruby jumped up from her spot on the bed in excitement, making the faunus sigh.

“Is it though? I don’t think I’ll be that good in battle considering how I am now. I’d just let Yang and Weiss down in the end.” Amber eyes gazed down at the hands folded in her lap.

“Then I’ll help you.”

“What?” Blake’s ears stood up as her face tilted in questioning, not quite sure she heard the raven-red head right, but with her faunus hearing that was nearly impossible. 

“I’ll help you. Train you and all that. What better way to gain some more skill and confidence than to train with a previous winner of the Tournament? With a little coaching from me, you’ll be unstoppable.” Ruby clapped a hand on Blake’s shoulder wearing a smile of the utmost amount of smug. 

“Even if you did, how would we do it without you getting caught?” The worry that plagued the faunus disappeared upon seeing the fearless smile on her friend’s face. 

“Easy.” 

 

><><><><><><

 

“So, you mean to tell me that your little helpers were demolished by a random civilian!?” Roman laughed at the two damaged criminals. Emerald stared daggers at the bowler hat man as she tested the sensitivity of her ribs. Mercury was sat upon a cot with a split on his injured leg, they had been lucky enough to get it back in its general place. “That is  _ rich _ !” Roman continued to laugh crazily, holding onto his cramping stomach. Cinder scowled, arms crossed and fingers tapping at her bicep, looking at the floor murderously. 

“Enough, Roman!” The roar was loud, accompanied by a frightening glow in her amber eyes as she glared daggers at the man as if to kill him where he stood. Roman complied, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye. “They did not go up against some ‘random civilian’! They went up against the very person we’ve been searching for! They stupidly underestimated their opponent, and it’s been made clear that I overestimated their capabilities.” Her glare shifted to her two henchmen. Emerald looked down in disappointment while Mercury scowled down at his leg. “It seems I’ve overestimated you as well, Adam. You were too busy torturing your own kind to realize that many  _ Hunters _ would end up looking for her.” 

“Don’t poke your nose into my business! Everything was going just fine until that friend of hers infiltrated the camp!” The bull faunus growled, holding a hand over his bandaged eye.

“Have you failed to notice that this woman you’re so psychotic over is under the protection of one of the strongest fighters ever known to mankind? They’re linked. You do not go up against a Huntress like that  _ blindly _ unless you want to end up as worm food! Do all of you understand?” There weren’t any nod but the angry woman knew that they wouldn’t dream of protesting.

“Um, Cinder?” Emerald asked hesitantly, flinching when her commander’s eyes met hers angrily. “I think, I think I know who is was.” It scared the green haired woman how swiftly Cinder’s anger turned into sickening glee.

“Oh? And who might you think our target is?” 

“Ruby. Ruby Rose.” 

“You know that’s not possible.” Cinder frowned, walking over to Emerald and taking the dark skinned woman’s chin in her hand. “I killed her. I made the mistake of thinking that silver eyes and Maidens passed on their powers the same way. We saw her body, she was lifeless. She wasn’t breathing and her Aura wasn’t pulsing. I hadn’t gained her power, because of my failure it was wasted and we moved onto the second best thing. The Fall Maiden in Vale. So, tell me Emerald. How is it you think that a dead woman is the one who handed your asses to you?” The younger woman gulped. 

“The way she moved. It was all just so familiar and I had this feeling-”

“A  _ feeling _ ? You think this because of a  _ feeling _ !?” The back of a hand landed on Emerald’s cheek, choking her more than being painful. “I thought you’d know better by now than to think anything from  _ feelings _ .” Cinder ran her fingers through her hair before turning to the others. 

“Adam. I want you to move your men farther away from the city. It’s obvious that being so close will only tempt you into chasing your little mouse like a starving feline.” Adam’s bright orange eye glared at her, but he did not protest. Standing up, the faunus gave a slight nod and left the establishment without a word. “You two,” She turned to her lackeys, “are to stay here until you’re recovered enough to be battle ready.”

“Dammit, you’re making me babysit the brats?” The bowler hat man joked with a displeased mumble. 

“And you Roman, are to continue wiping every Dust shop in Vale clean. I have somewhere to be.” 

“Whatever you say, Gorgeous.” 

 

><><><><><><

 

“Uncle Qrow, you better not be cheating.” Yang warned lightly as her and her aging uncle played a game of chess outside, in her father’s little backyard. The blond man was currently sitting next to the two, watching the game play out silently.

“How can you cheat at chess?” Qrow laughed, taking a swig from his flask. 

“I don’t know, but I’m sure you’d find a way.” 

“You’re not wrong, Firecracker. Still your move.” Lilac eyes scanned the wooden chess board in concentration a hand coming up to thoughtfully scratch at her blond mane. Her father silently stared at nothing until his gaze shifted down, noticing that Yang was taking forever to figure out her move. It took him a moment to get the game in focus and think clearly, but once the fog in his brain had cleared her spoke hoarsely.

“Bishop to C3.” The two players jumped upon hearing his voice. Both pairs of eyes wider than the moon with mouths hanging open slightly. 

“Dad. Did you just…?” Yang couldn’t finish her sentence, dumbly staring at her semi-aware father who slowly looked from one to the other. 

“Tai…” Qrow was dumbstruck, taking a hesitant glance at his flask in confusion, wondering if his drunken state would be the reason for hearing his friend’s voice.

“Classic flank.” Tai mumbled, still on the topic of chess strategy. Yang shot out of her chair, wrapping her arms around her father, then she ran into the home. 

“Mom! Mom, get one of the healers! Dad just spoke!” 

Qrow could do nothing but stare at Tai who eventually turned his blue eyes to meet the male Branwen’s. The retired Knight-Captain shot out of his chair, seeing something in his friend’s eyes that hasn’t been there in years. Clarity. Eyes clearer than the summer sky above them, and they sparkled with some life. “I have to...get better. For...Yang and all of you.” It’s seemed to be somewhat of a challenge to say longer sentences, but that didn’t stop the Xiao Long from trying. “Just needed...a little push.” Maroon eyes gradually calmed, allowing Qrow to adopt a more relaxed posture. He let out a gruff chuckle, unscrewing the lid on his flask and taking a swig.

“Then let me be the first to say this.” The man smiled. “Welcome back.” Tai smiles.

 

><><><><><><

 

“I’m telling you guys, he really spoke today! The healers couldn’t really explain it, but apparently he’s getting more of his awareness back!” Yang said, elated. She sat with the others in a circle under a blossom tree that grew in the garden. They were all excited for their friend. 

“That’s amazing, love. I’m sure in no time, he’ll be back to his normal self.” Weiss grasped her wife’s hand as the others gave their individual comments on the subject. Blake hadn’t spoken much during the gathering, focusing more on keeping herself relaxed than listening. 

“That’s not only the greatest thing about today. Blake’s going to be our third so we can participate in the tournament! We are gonna kick some serious arse.” 

“Language!” Pyrrha chided politely, caressing her stomach affectionately while Jaune delivered a kiss to her temple. 

“Right. Sorry, sorry. It’s the first time in four years that we’ve gotten someone to participate with us!” Yang was positively vibrating. Sun smiled and clapped his hand on the feline faunus’ shoulder, proving to make her stiffen up worse than stone. 

“Blake is a great fighter, so there’s no doubt that she’ll assist you guys in attaining victory, but don’t think the rest of us will go easy on any of ya!” The monkey faunus flashed his bright smile as Yang slammed her fists together in front of her chest. 

“Wouldn’t want it any other way. Isn’t that right, Blake?” Said faunus lifted her gaze from her lap to the group that now had all eyes trained on her.

“That’s right.” She nodded, gulping down nothing but dryness in her throat, a slightly pained smile on her face. To her relief, nobody seemed to notice her unease, except for Sun. As the others began talking loudly about some subject or another the blond faunus leaned over and whispered to Blake.

“Hey. You wanna get out of here? Maybe go grab some dinner from the dining hall?” Blake merely looked at him for a few seconds before nodding. The two stood up, only getting some uninterested glances from a couple of the others before walking back into the castle. “So,” Sun began once they were inside en route to the dining hall, “I’m glad you’re alright. I had this feeling that something bad might’ve happened to you when you just disappeared on all of us.” 

“I’m sorry I caused you to worry about me. Sometimes I just need to get away from crowded places and go somewhere more peaceful.” Blake mumbled.

“I understand, you never were a social butterfly. Just warn someone next time, alright?” He looked at her pleadingly.

“Yeah, I will.” 

“Good.” They were quiet the rest of the way to the hall, grabbing their food before finding a place to sit. The tables were arranged longways, tables linking together to form many long tables. “You know, I’m curious about something.” 

“About what?” 

“What was it like in the White Fang?” Blake’s cat ears flattened against her head.

“At first it wasn’t bad. We were somewhat peaceful in our protests, at least to my knowledge. Some had said that the new leader wasn’t exactly peaceful so they couldn’t understand why there were still peaceful protests. But that all changed when the orphanage was slaughtered, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. All the faunus were controlled by this, rage, so they started to become more aggressive and then the war began. At first I was pretty angry too, but I didn’t think the entire human race should’ve been slaughtered and punished, only the person responsible.” Blake sighed as Sun’s face fell.

“People say that Ozpin knows a guilty person when he sees one. He can read them like open books regardless of how long he’s known them. Now, Ozpin was the one who let Ruby into training two years early, so he must’ve seen some promise and he was correct. She didn’t fight that much, at least not when people were watching, but the tournament? You could really see why Oz let her in so soon. Ruby had a heart of gold.” A small grin appeared on Blake’s face.  _ That she does. _ “She was there for everyone when they needed her but the only time she really needed us we, just turned away. If Ozpin found her guilty, then there was no question, but this was Ruby we were talking about. How could she do something like that?” Sun ripped off a piece of bread and tossed it in his mouth with a perplexed look on his face. The feline faunus’ fist tightened in anger.

“She didn’t.” 

“Huh?” Sun looked at his childhood friend curiously, voice muffled slightly by the mouthful of bread. 

“I don’t think that someone that gets spoken so highly of could commit such a disgusting act such as slaughtering orphaned children. Someone has to be truly heartless to do something that horrible. It’s probably impossible for Ruby to have done something like that if she was so kind.” Blake knew in her heart that Ruby wouldn’t have done something like that in all her life.

“So, then why did Ozpin say she was guilty?” 

“Who knows. Maybe he made a mistake.” Blake’s shoulders shrugged. It was a good question.

“Ozpin doesn’t make mistakes. He does everything for a reason.” 

“He’s human Sun.  _ Everyone _ makes mistakes, but if that were true what reason would he have to declare Ruby guilty of slaughter?” The male faunus opened his mouth to argue only to find that he didn’t have anything to say. It was a good question.

“I don’t know.” 

“Exactly.”

“Then that just means me and everyone else were assholes more so than we had thought. She died for no reason.” Sun slouched, chewing quietly on his food while Blake attempted to put some food in her stomach.

“I’m sure that if she was, still here, she would forgive all of you.”

“Not so sure about that, Blake.” 

 

><><><><><><

 

When night fell, Blake returned to her room to find that Ruby wasn’t there. She checked in the washroom to make sure and it was evident that the raven-red head wasn’t around.  _ Where has she gone? _ The faunus wondered, laying down on her bed with Zwei next to her. Wherever Ruby had gone she didn’t take Zwei with her so she must not be far. Nervousness creeped up into the woman’s chest as she lay there trying to stay calm with clenched eyes, which she surprisingly succeeded in warding off an impending attack.

Placing her hand on her chest, she clasped onto the necklace, running her thumb over the smooth pendant.  _ How did I get here? _ She had wondered that so much, recounting all the major events in her life. The orphanage, the White Fang, her life as a slave, and when she had escaped. It all seemed dark to the faunus now that she looked back on it all. A lonely girl, damaged and battered after so long, finally finding a new path in her life. When Ruby found her, the fact that they were both accepting their deaths that night only to be saved by one another. It was definitely a turning point in both their lives. 

“What are you thinking about?” A gentle hand caressed her cheek, prompting her to open her eyes and gaze at the person it belonged to. Ruby sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at the faunus with soft eyes that made Blake’s chest become warm. She smiled.

“A lot.” 

“Aren’t we all?” Ruby chuckled, withdrawing her hand. “Are you ready to get started?” Blake propped herself up on her elbows.

“I am.” 

“Great!” Ruby hopped up, bouncing on her toes slightly. “I have the perfect secret spot for our training sessions to begin. Hop on.” She turned and gestured to Blake to get on her back.

“What?” The faunus quirked a brow as she got off of the bed. 

“We’re going out the window so get on. I can’t be seen remember?” 

“If you say so.” Blake shook her head good naturedly before climbing onto Ruby’s back, wrapping her arms around her neck as the younger woman held onto her legs so she wouldn’t fall off.

“Zwei, stay here and be a good boy.” Ruby instructed her companion who circled around on the bed before settling in a position to fall asleep in. Silver eyes looked back at Blake as they approached the window. Instinctively, the faunus tightened her grip on the crimsoness. Ruby placed a boot on the window sill before leaning forward. Blake let out a small shriek as they plummeted to the ground.

Ruby landed on the ground silently, the wind barely disturbed by their fall. Looking back at Blake she smiled before speaking, “Hold on tight.” Before the faunus could even process the words they were dashing off at blinding speed. When the raven haired woman regained her bearings her mouth fell open in awe. Everything went by in flashes, it wasn’t even scenery anymore it was just dashing colors across her vision. The blending of greens with the many colors of flowers, looking up the stars made white streaks across the sky. Even the most imaginative and creative artists could never come up with how beautiful it all looked, let alone put it on a canvas. Beauty like this could only be experienced.

“Wow…” Blake breathed making Ruby smile as she ran. “Is it always like this?”

“Yeah. Everytime.”

When they stopped the faunus had no idea where they were. It was a little clearing, filled with nothing but wildflowers of all colors, surrounded by cherry blossom trees. Next to it ran a river with brightly colored pebbles speckled along the bottom. On the other side of the water was nothing but a plain filled with flowers, stretching as far as the eyes could see. “It’s beautiful…What is this place?” Amber eyes gazed at Ruby after getting off of the younger woman’s back. 

“Whenever things got rough, the stress of Knight-Captain duties weighing down on me. I’d come here and relax, clear my mind and forget everything that had ever worried me. Here I could be myself. This was my escape and this is where we’re going to train. Nobody will find us here.” 

“It certainly does make me feel a little lighter.” Blake smiled, although a small one. Silver eyes gazed around taking it all in after so long and they softened so much that Blake couldn’t stop her heart from setting fire when a smile grew on her friend’s lips, a breeze tousling her raven-red hair. Reaching up, she took her necklace into her hand, closing her eyes and inhaling the flowery scent of the area, detecting a bit of roses.

 

_ “Ruby?” Came Blake’s timid voice as she lay facing the younger woman in bed with her. She had just woken up, seeing that Ruby was already awake, gently stroking her hair. Ruby had her head propped up on her elbow as she watched over her faunus friend.  _

_ “Hm?” The woman hummed, gazing with lidded silver eyes. To Blake, it looked like she hadn’t slept at all. _

_ “H-How, did you find me?” The faunus’ body drew into itself only for Ruby to pull her closer, flushed against her body, head resting against her chest. “I mean, how did you know where I was? Or that I was even gone?” Ruby was silent for an eerily long time, prompting Blake to look up at her, ears flat against her head and hand forming a fist on Ruby’s bare stomach.  _

_ “It’s kinda hard to explain. I’m not really sure how I could make it sound so you can understand it.” Ruby sighed, taking one of Blake’s ears in her hand, causing the faunus to whimper in fright before relaxing. She stroked the velvet ear until the tension was released and it stood up normally once more. Then she began to work on the other. “I think that when I unlocked your Aura, a piece of mine became stuck and separated from me and stayed inside of you. So, I can feel what you feel at times, and sense where the bit of me is as it’s inside of you. When you panic, I know you’re panicking. When you’re happy, I know you’re happy. When you’re sad, well, I can feel that too.”  _

_ “That doesn’t make sense. How is something like that possible?” Blake asked, not sure whether or not to believe it as she cuddled into the woman’s wrapped bosom. Ruby released another sigh. _

_ “I don’t know. All I know is that a piece of me is inside of you.”  _

 

“You ready?” Ruby asked, bringing Blake out of her reverie. Looking over she saw that Ruby had discarded her cloak on the ground. 

“Yeah, I’m ready.” Standing so that she was facing the younger woman she listened to her instruction. 

“Now, we’re gonna start off simple. Hand to hand combat, no semblances, and no weapons. Only Aura enhancements.” Ruby stretched her arms. “Your first objective is to land a direct hit on me. Think you can do that?” 

“No offence, Ruby, but that doesn’t sound too hard.” Blake joked, seeming to be in a really good mood as she got into a offensive stance. Ruby mirrored her, chuckling with an amused and excited light sparkling in her silver eyes as she gave the raven haired faunus a wink.

“Trust me, it’s harder than you think.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait guys, I took some time to read through some of my other fanfics that I started and decided to work on one a little just to have a change of pace, none of it has been posted because I want to hopefully finish this one before putting another one out, but if you guys want a sneak peek of the other one (which is also Ladybug and is in a modern setting), just say so in the comments because I like to please you guys.
> 
> Now, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'd like to apologize for all the different sections because I wasn't totally sure where I would go with this chapter so I just went with what came to mind. Also, if you guys want more of a particular section to this story please feel free to tell me, like if you want more Xiao Long family stuff, or villain stuff, or All Knowing Ozpin stuff, even the rest of the gang stuff just say so and I'll do my best to put it in somewhere.
> 
> Thank you! Please keep reading and leaving comments because it keeps me motivated!


	16. Chapter 16

Ozpin had awoken at an early hour, before the sun even came up to illuminate the world around him. His dream had prevented him from sleeping any longer than he had, so the Lord decided to get an early start on some of his duties. Silently sitting in his study, flipping through some of the complaints of some of the nobles about the faunus, which he blatantly ignored because all the words written were out of ignorance and stupidity. Other documents involved kingdom movements such as adding more troops to some of the smaller villages around the kingdom. With a sigh, Ozpin approved the demand despite the need for troops to be focused on the bigger threat. Not the Grimm, and not even the White Fang.

Taking a sip from his cup of coffee, Ozpin stood up, grabbing his cane with his free hand as he departed from his study to mindlessly walk around the empty halls of the castle. His steps echoed as he walked, tracing some of the designs on his cane’s handle with his thumb.

The Hall of Knight-Captains is where he found himself, staring at the painting of Summer Rose on the wall. She was smiling and he couldn’t help but wonder if she had found peace wherever she was now. “When do you think they’ll be ready?” He asked, only being answered with silence. “Ruby’s so close yet so far. How long will she wait, Summer? How long will  _ Salem _ ?” These were questions that had plagued him since Ruby was born, since Summer had met her demise. “Will your daughter be ready when the time comes? Will she do what you could not?” Closing his eyes with irritation, he lowered his head. “What would you have done if you knew you were going to die? How should that knowledge make a person feel?” 

 

><><><><><><

 

“That was not funny you assholes!” Qrow growled, throwing his skirt at his three teammates who were laughing hysterically at him. He had embarrassed himself in front of the entire training class. “Especially you, Tai!” 

“Aw, c’mon! The girls said you had nice legs!” 

“Oh is that so? Were they the ones who told me to wear the fucking dress!? A ‘kilt’ my hairy ass!” He roared, taking a seat next to the window in their shared barracks. 

“It wasn’t that bad, Qrow.” Raven reasoned, still sporting a huge smile. His maroon eyes glared daggers at his sister. “Okay, maybe it was that bad.”

“All of you are gonna pay for that.”

“Did you two have to be that mean?” Summer shook her head, even though she had laughed as well. “Don’t worry Qrow, I’ll help you get your revenge.”

“You laughed at me too.” A pout formed on the male Branwen’s features as he looked away. Summer was indeed a beautiful young woman, and he barely knew her but they had become fast friends in the short weeks after they had met.

“And I’m very sorry.” She apologized, placing her hand on his shoulder. “But you _ do _ have nice legs, though I certainly don’t condone what you two did.” Silver eyes glared at the other two. “Regardless, we don’t have time to remedy this situation. Qrow and I are going to walk around town so you two love birds can have the room all to yourselves.” Pulling a confused Qrow out of his chair, Summer dragged him to the door. 

“We’re what?” He asked. 

“Hey! We aren’t ‘love birds’, that’s just-” Raven started, face contorted in disgust. 

“Horrifying.” Tai finished, his body shivering from the thought. 

“Exactly!” 

“Whatever you say.” The white clocked teen said in a sing song voice as she shut the door behind her and her partner. 

“Why exactly are we going to walk around town?” The raven haired boy questioned, utterly confused. 

“Aw, what’s the matter Qrow? Don’t wanna spend a little one-on-one time with your team leader?” Summer joked as she sashayed in front of him. His maroon eyes traveled down, silently cursing the white cloak for obscuring his view of her walk. He knew that she always walked with a natural swagger which was very,  _ very _ enticing. 

“Not particularly.” He shot back good-naturedly, walking up beside her.

“Please, you’ve been dying to get me alone.” 

“Sure that wasn’t you who wanted to get  _ me  _ alone?” A swift punch was delivered to his shoulder, making him chuckle. 

“As I was saying. I’m gonna help you get revenge on Tai and Raven for the skirt thing.” They left the castle, making their way to town. 

“Why Raven, she’s not the one who convinced me to wear that damn thing.” 

“She’s been teasing me a little too much for my liking lately.” Summer glared mildly.

“About what?” 

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it. Okay. I got a plan, but we need ice dust, two pails of either molasses, or honey, and about four sacks of chicken feathers.” She listed the things on her fingers. 

“I’m actually scared of what you have planned.” 

“Good, you should be.” She laughed. 

 

><><><><><><

 

“Again.” Ruby said as Blake began to strike at her, each of her attempts easily blocked. “Good.” Blake kicked upwards at her friend’s midsection, Ruby easily meeting it with her forearm. In a swift motion, Ruby’s fist met the faunus’ stomach before she kicked the leg that Blake had been balancing on out from under her. The air escaped her lungs momentarily staggering her. “You left yourself open.”

“No shit.” Blake grumbled as she lay in a bed of flowers. 

“You have to remember what I said. It’s not about being stronger or faster than the enemy, it about being  _ smarter _ .”

“I know. You’ve said it a hundred times in the past week, but I can’t think about being smarter when I’m concentrating on dodging, and deciding when to attack.” She propped herself up onto her elbows. 

“That may be part of your problem. Sometimes thinking about how you’re going to attack and defend can put you at a disadvantage because it’s taking your attention away from the battle. Uncle Qrow taught me to fight with my instincts as I thought of a way to outsmart the enemy.” Blake simply groaned, falling back onto the flowerbed. 

“The Tournament starts tomorrow Ruby. Yang, Weiss, and I are in the team match ups on the first day. I don’t have any more time. What if I lose it and freak out?” Ruby sighed, laying down next to her friend, face down in the bed of flowers. 

“You’ll do just fine.” 

“How do you know?” Blake asked, looking at the ex-Huntress next to her. 

“I just do.” The crimsoness stated with a smile, causing the faunus to pout. Ruby chuckled at the sight, reaching out and digging her fingers into Blake’s side. The older woman squealed, slapping Ruby’s hand away. 

“Don’t do that!” She scolded with a large smile on her face. 

“Stop being such a worrywart so I won’t have to!” Ruby shot back, laughing at the faunus’ pointed glare. 

“I just don’t want to disappoint them.” Blake sighed, her mood dropping slightly. Ruby by far was the first person she never wanted to disappoint, but she didn’t want her friends to feel that way either. It’s been four years since they’ve been able to compete, and Blake didn’t want to botch the first match. 

“I know you don’t.” Ruby’s silver eyes were soft as she stared at her friend who was gazing up at the sky. She felt Blake’s anxiousness. “C’mon. Don’t wanna be late to the boats do you?” Hopping up from her position the younger woman held out her hand for her companion to take. With a small smile Blake took the offered hand and was hefted up onto her feet. When her amber eyes looked up Ruby was gazing at her, her expression one of pure happiness. “Let's go show them what you’re made of.” 

 

><><><><><><

 

The tournament was held on an island just off the coast of Vale which neighbored an ocean. Boats took passengers from the port to the island where there was a large, nearly giant coliseum-like structure that posed as the setting. When it was first created, it had taken nearly ten years to complete, but it had been finished only seventy years ago after the devastating War Between Nations. The festival itself was a representation of the peace that had been accomplished when the war was over and therefore they created the annual competition to support the growth of Hunter’s skills and just for friendly battle.

The feline faunus stared in awe as she stood in the giant shadow that the building cast in the midday sun. Her mouth fell agape slightly, lips parting as she took it all in. It was relatively off-white in color, the top layer of stone used being some sort of marble variation to give it some character. A hand clapped on her shoulder, snapping her out of her daze. “Yup. It sure is something, huh.” Yang said wistfully, lilac eyes softer than flower petals, the smallest of smiles on her lips. 

“Sure is.” Blake responded. 

“You know,” The blond withdrew her hand, returning to her side before walking toward the stadium, “The last time I was here, it was with my little sis.” Blake walked alongside the woman as Weiss quietly walked on the other side.

“Really?” 

“Yeah she won the whole damn thing. Winter Schnee was the runner up. Her and Rubes had a nearly historical match.” 

“Isn’t it unfair for Knight-Captains to participate?” Blake wondered, thinking that they had some sort of unfair advantage over the other participants. 

“No. Why?” Weiss regarded her curiously. 

“Aren’t they supposed to be the strongest out of everyone?” 

“Being Knight-Captain isn’t about your strength. It’s about how much the Lord trusts you.” Weiss explained, making gestures with her free hand as the other one had a walking campfire attached to it. “Knight-Captains are the ones who are to take over and make the decisions after a Lord passes, and unless they are told who the Lord has chosen as their heir it is up to them to decide who is the best candidate to take the deceased Lord’s throne. Until another person is chosen the Knight-Captain is in charge.” 

“Huh.” This information was certainly interesting. “So, anyone in the Order can be stronger than the Knight-Captain in battle?” 

“Exactly.” The white haired woman nodded as they entered the arena.

It wasn’t very lavash on the inside by any means. It looked far more simple than the outside with normal, bland colored stone as the wall structure. The Vale crest hung here and there in the halls. Outside there were hundred of people at least finding their way inside to watch the first fights of the year. Blake and the others had entered through a different entrance, one for staff and competitors only. The faunus wasn’t paying the interior much attention, her mind preoccupied.  _ If Ruby was Ozpin’s most trusted person then why did he say she was guilty? Not to mention he chose Cardin Winchester of all people to take her place. _ “If it’s about trust, then why is Cardin the Knight-Captain. Of all people why him?” 

“Dust if anyone knows.” Yang huffed, threading her hands together behind her head. “Ruby and Cardin are very different people, complete opposites. It was a shock when he announced it, an asshole like Winchester is wrecking all the faith in Vale’s Knight-Captain position, something that my sister never once did the whole time she was around. The people need to be confident that if anything happens to Ozpin they’ll be in good hands with the Knight-Captain. They weren’t the least bit concerned about it when Ruby was in service. Everyone who knew her loved her and had faith that she would lead them well if the worst were to happen.” She sighed, her brows pinching together. “That all started to change when the incident happened. The people were crushed and their faith was wounded and ever since Cardin’s been in power he’s just been rubbing salt in it.” 

“Well, if we go up against him and his buddies, let’s just kick their asses.” Blake spoke rather bluntly, causing the other two to laugh heartily. 

“That’s exactly the kind of thing I like to hear.” The blond clapped the faunus on the shoulder who tensed up from the contact. Silently she chided herself for her damn fears.

Climbing some stairs they found some seats to sit themselves in until it was time for their match, next to them was team JNPR. Sky sat next to his mother, asking if she wanted anything to drink or eat and if she was feeling well. Blake smiled, thinking that the boy was just as fretful as his father over the pregnant redhead. Pyrrha took both of her hands, placing them on the boy’s cheeks before squishing them together, effectively cutting off his questions. “I’m fine, little man.” She chuckled, shaking his head back and forth and rubbing her nose against his.

“ _ Mom _ stop it! You’re embarrassing me!” He complained, tugging at her wrists as to disconnect her palms from his cheeks. 

“Then I’m doing my job!” The woman smiled, letting her son go only for him to pout at her as she laughed.

“Blake!” Sun flopped down next to the faunus, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Are you excited to be competing?” The faunus quickly took his arm and unwrapped it from its position against her, a frantic look crossing over her face for a split second. The blond man’s brows pinched. Blake had been doing that since the incident with Adam, not allowing anyone to get too touchy with her, except for Ruby of course. Before the monkey faunus could say anything she spoke up. 

“Somewhat. I’m more nervous than anything.” Her hands fiddling in her lap were evidence enough of that fact.

“Ah, that’s normal.” Sun waved a hand around in the air dismissively. “Who’re you guys up against today?” 

“A team from Haven. ABRN I think, or something.” 

“Yeah, you’re right. Weiss and Ruby went up against two of their members in the semi-finals. Reese gave my beautiful wife,” Yang pecked Weiss’ cheek, “a run for her lien if I remember correctly.” 

“Everyone it is time for this years Vytal Festival Tournament to begin! May you all fight well!” A booming voice filled the entire arena with sound, effectively silencing the large crowd. 

 

><><><><><><

 

“Ugh, so many people are here…” Raven groaned in her seat, sandwiched between her brother, who reaked of alcohol like usual, and Taiyang. He had spoken here and there, but they were mostly single words or small sentences.

“Duh, it’s Vytal. Nearly every damn kingdom is here right now.” Qrow replied gruffly after taking a large swig from his flask.

“I don’t remember it being like this the last time we participated.” Red eyes scanned the many people around them. Maybe it was different because she was a bystander instead of a participant. 

“That was over twenty four years ago, Raven. It was the same back them too.”

“The crowds loved us.” The blond man to her left chuckled, one of his hands fiddling with the feathers of her skirt which was something he did often. “I wish we could have those days back.” Raven’s hand caressed the nape of his neck, his blue eyes looking up from the black feathers to lock with her’s. Those blue orbs were sad with memories of what used to be. 

She would be lying if she said that she wasn’t jealous about Summer having a child with Taiyang after she disappeared. The love she had for him ran deep and that didn’t change the entire time that she was away. It was her own fault though. Despite everything Raven did miss Summer. That crazy woman was the only real friend that she had ever made in her life. It seemed to her that Qrow nearly took Summer’s loss just as bad as the blond man. 

With a smile she gave her love a peck on the forehead, stroking his hair gently. While she was gazing at him, something caught her attention behind him. A short distance away there was a figure sitting in the same row, clad in a red silk, sleeveless tunic with a black hood to prevent their face from being seen. A slim but tattered white cape flowed behind them whenever a breeze rolled through, it’s color contrasting with the main attire. The raven haired woman’s brows pinched.  _ Relax Raven, she’s not that stupid. _ “Qrow?” Tai spoke from nowhere, averting the woman’s attention.

“Yeah?” The dusty man leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees. 

“Do you miss them too?” Some silence passed, Qrow’s maroon eyes closing to think about his answer. Raven could only assume that Tai was talking about Summer and Ruby, again she cast a glance at the red clad stranger.

“Of course I do.” The conversation ended there when the announcer's voice filled the stadium.

 

><><><><><><

 

Ozpin glared, eyes going from one soldier to another as they mingled through the crowd of spectators. This was highly unnecessary, there was no sense of danger whatsoever, so the amount of guard was irritating. The man who had this little protection movement in the palm of his hand sat next to him in the box, where the Lords and any very special guests were to reside during the fights. “Was this number of men really necessary, Ironwood?” He asked, bronze eyes observing the student who were currently in battle. This batch was certainly promising.

The tournament was for both graduates and undergraduate of the Huntsman training, they of course never went against each other in combat, but Ozpin believed that it was good for the students to see full fledged Huntsman in action. He could only imagine their faces if they had been there to watch the crimsoness in action. 

“This is what the council agreed on. You were the only one who opposed it.” The large man spoke calmly, his eyes also never leaving the field. Currently a team was taking cover behind some of the stone pillars. It would be interesting if they could have different environments to fight in, to simulate real life combat where your life's in danger. “Vale is the center of this...Civil War that the White Fang have started, there is no telling what they may do with such a big gathering of innocent civilians.” Ozpin understood that part of it but there had to be another reason. 

“This place is filled with trained, professionals. Aren’t they security enough?” 

“I wish they were, but what if the real enemy were to strike. Can you honestly say that any of them can handle the power of a maiden, or  _ her _ ?” The Atlesian Lord cast a hard glance at Ozpin, who calmly took a sip of his cup of tea. 

“I have the utmost confidence in my Order’s abilities, it is  _ you _ who doubts. This issue with the faunus was not meant to happen in the first place. It is an unforeseen obstacle that can easily be overcome.” 

“Yet, it was your Knight-Captain’s fault.” Ironwood shot back in a calm but angered comment.

“Yet, my kingdom and Vacuo are the only ones where faunus have all their rights. Do not place blame for the entire war on Miss Rose, she was only a single spec of sand in the hourglass. Mistral and Atlas’ treatment of their kind hasn’t changed since the War Between Nations, so I suggest you look very closely at the faunus of  _ your _ kingdom instead of mine.” There was there very slightest hint of anger from the silver haired man and that shocked the General. Ozpin didn’t express very much emotion, in fact Ironwood himself had never witnessed emotional changes since they met each other.

The dark haired man stayed silent, opting to let the conversation end there. He was glad that Qrow wasn’t around to hear what he said, otherwise there might have been a big commotion. Ozpin’s words spoke the truth, the people of Atlas were more nobles than anything that believed the faunus should be wiped from existence and it was more than a chore to shut down their ignorant claims. “Who do you think will win this year?” He questioned, knowing from experience that the silver haired Lord always predicted the outcome correctly. His friend was quiet for a while, still enjoying the battle down below. 

“I don’t know.” Ironwood looked at Ozpin curiously. 

“You don’t know. You don’t want to even guess?” 

“I’m not that interested in whoever wins this year. I’ve got other things on my mind.” 

“Ah, I understand. We all do.” 

Ozpin closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly. He could remember it. The dream that awoke him from his sleep last night. It wasn’t clear, but he distinctly remembered something the color of the blackest ink, multiple faces lashing out in different directions, and the ear shattering roars, the horrified screams. Then everything went red, he assumed that it meant blood was clouding his vision. That’s where it ended.

 

><><><><><><

 

“Would the next two Graduate teams please report to the prep rooms. The next match will begin in exactly seven minutes.” The announcer stated as Blake’s nerves were lit aflame. It was their turn. This was it. She quietly stood with the other two who were more than excited to get out and fight. 

“This is it!” Yang squealed almost to the point that it caused Blake physical pain with her advanced hearing. “We are so gonna whoop some butt.” 

“Good luck you guys.” Jaune smiled, the others gave a similar cheer of support. 

“I hope you win, Aunties.” Sky commented sweetly, smiling at Yang and Weiss, the blond woman shooting him a thumbs up. 

“Thanks, kiddo. Cheer us on.” With that the three women turned around and made their way to the prep area where Weiss made sure that she was full on dust in her rapier and Yang made sure that she was warmed up by punching some combos into the air. “You know Blake. Neither of us have seen your semblance. Sure we’ve trained but you never seemed to be doing anything crazy, you know?” 

“I only use my semblance when I really need to. You’ll get to see it during the match.” Blake responded, mind thinking about her abilities for a moment. Every nerve in her body tingled with unbridled anxiety and she couldn’t figure out how to make it stop. 

“But we could’ve made so many awesome combinations if we knew what it was.” The blond pouted, shoulders slumping. 

“Sweetheart.” The tone in the Schnee’s voice was one of warning. She always preferred that everyone be serious and focused before any sort of battle. “We can do all of that later when we’re thinking of strategies for our next match. So we better be victorious.” 

“Oh I love it when you’re all demanding.” Yang wiggled her eyebrows causing the feline faunus to roll her eyes with a shake of her head and Weiss blushed while maintaining her hard expression. 

“Teams! Please enter the field!” Said one host.

“Like they were suppose to several seconds ago!” The announcer's voice was loud with excitement as the three women looked at the metal gate that looked like it belonged at a drawbridge. It raised up with a loud screech and rattle allowing the team to exit into the battlefield. 

Blake took in a large breath rubbing her clammy hands against her trousers. The armour that she requested was exactly what she hoped it would be. It was lightweight leather colored in black with her symbol in purple on the back. The sleeves reached down to her elbows revealing a few little scars that branded her with her past, it also had a few small pockets and there was an attached belt that allowed her to hold throwing knives diagonally across her abdomen. She didn’t notice it at first but she realized that her amber eyes were scanning the large crowd, the small hope of seeing Ruby somewhere within the mass gnawed at her. She wasn’t even sure if Ruby had come with how many people were here because it could be dangerous.  _ I really hope she’s seeing this. _

The battlefield was large and open, many granite pillars scattered around to act as some sort of cover for the combatants. The floor was made of simple sand stone, good for traction. The woman realized that there were many scattered holes and cracked stone in the flooring, most likely from the intense amount of force that the previous teams had use to try and win their match. “Hey!” A female voice called out causing the faunus to realize that the other team was standing across from them. One had green colored hair and was staring at Blake expectantly, a smirk on her face. “You the new girl around here?” 

“U-Uh, yeah.” Blake responded uncertainly. 

“Huh, you’re kinda cute. You gotta bedwarmer waiting for ya or can I come for a visit tonight?” She laughed, winking suggestively. Blake took a step back she was so shocked, eyes shooting wide open. 

“Leave her alone, Reese. What’s with you and hitting on all us Vale women?” Yang cocked her hip, placing her fist against it.  _ Technically, I’m from Menagerie,  _ Blake thought.

“What? I can’t have a little fun?” 

“Teams ready!” Boomed the announcer. 

“Three, two…” Yang rolled her eyes.  _ Oobleck and his time fixation. _ “Begin!” 

“The new girl’s mine!” Reese called to her teammates, lunging forward at Blake while her weapon materialized in her hand. The green haired woman threw it down only for it not to hit the ground, hopping securely onto it. It seemed to hover over the ground as the flirtatious woman began to ride around, speeding her way toward Blake.  _ The fu-woah shit! _ Amber eyes widened before ducking down to narrowly miss being hit directly in the face by the bottom of Reese’s board.

Quickly the feline faunus dashed behind a pillar long enough to materialize Gambol Shroud in her hand. For now she decided that she would use it as a cleaver, until she felt more confident. Her ears flicked hearing the unusual hum coming close as the green haired Mistralian turned swiftly around Blake’s cover, flipping the blue colored board around in the air making direct contact with Gambol Shroud as it was used to block the attack. Forcing each other back the women made eye contact just before Blake charged Reese, swinging and swiping at the hovering woman who simply dodged each one of her attacks, not even picking one foot up. Without a second thought the Blake’s cleaver knocked her opponent’s footing out from under her, landing on her back with a grunt. 

The faunus picked up a foot before slamming it down, aiming for Reese’s head but the woman rolled, effectively dodging the attack. With quick speed Reese stood and ran for her hoverboard, stomping onto the edge to flip it into the air. To Blake’s surprise it split into two forming firearms that were instantly being aimed in her direction. With a steeled resolve Blake refused to retreat and instead sprinting right for the green haired woman who sent off a barrage of green colored projectiles. Before the first one could reach the faunus she withdrew the katana from her cleaver, using both blades to deflect the flying objects. 

“Oh, and it seems Bolin is out! Serves him right for dealing with the Ice Queen!” The deeper voiced announcer roared with humor as Weiss yelled back with an indignant ‘hey!’. Reese risked a glance at her fallen team member only to get struck harshly by Blake’s katana, the faunus’ keen eyesight picking up the fizzle of the other woman’s aura. It certainly did some damage. 

“Don’t get distracted.” Blake growled uncharacteristically delivering a kick to Reese’s gut, causing her to fly back a few feet. Fighting actually felt good, it was different compared to training with Ruby. This was a win or lose situation, it was competitive instead of informative. The anxiousness she had felt melted away by the burning adrenaline in her veins.

Reese recovered quickly, shifting her weapon back into its mobile state, surfing around in the air. Blake ran the distance to the other side of the arena, noticing that Yang was cocking back her Ember Celica, intent on harming team ABRN’s leader. Blake passed through the line of fire just before the blonde brawler let off a shot, only for it to hit Reese with immense force, failing to realize her surroundings. The woman flew off her board and sailed right into her leader, knocking both women into the wall with enough power to crack the stone. Yang’s red eyes widened as they locked onto Blake, a smile forming on her lips. “Now that’s teamwork!” She yelled, shooting her faunus partner a thumbs up. “Let’s end this!”

Amber eyes landed on Weiss to see how well she was faring while the two dazed women recovered from their blow. The Schnee was struggling to deflect the shots coming from Nadir, leaving the woman no time to counter in between. Yang was too concentrated on Reese and Arslan to realize the situation her wife was in. The faunus shifted her katana into its kusarigama form, throwing it to the pink haired man attacking Weiss, wrapping him up in what looked like a length of ribbon. With a great heave the feline faunus sent the man into one of the granite pillars, shattering the stone in a cloud of dust. The Schnee’s blue eyes met amber, giving the faunus a grateful nod before turning her attention back to Nadir who was struggling to regain his bearings. 

Yang fired off some shots calling out to the faunus who happen to look over just in time to see Reese’s weapon in front of her face. Her reaction time was too slow, half of her face becoming enveloped in cold ice. Blake was in a daze long enough for the green haired woman’s weapon to shift into firearm form again, letting out a slew of shots that hit the faunus directly in her face, shattering the ice that had been put there.

“And there goes Nadir! Miss Belladonna seems to be struggling as her teammates fight ABRN’s leader! This is certainly a close one here folks! She and Reese seem to be fairly matched!” The fast talker yelled, excitement in his voice. 

Reese lunged for another attack while Blake was on the ground, recovering. Without even thinking the faunus activated her semblance, the shadow clone disappearing once it received contact. The green haired woman stumbled in confusion, wondering where the real Blake had gone. She didn’t find out though as multiple slashes were delivered to her body from behind. The faunus twirled around in the air and landing gracefully as Reese stumbled to the ground in defeat. “Finally Reese Chloris has been eliminated from the match, but just barely. Oh, and with a devastating blow, Arslan has also been eliminated!” The announcer spoke speedily. “Vale team wins!” 

The crowd erupted into cheers as Yang took both the woman and lifted them off their feet in a crushing hug. “We did it!” She bellowed, letting her friends go and howling at the crowd as they clapped and roared with spirit. There was a bright smile on Blake’s lips, she felt proud of herself and she hoped that Ruby was watching. She also hoped that Ruby was proud of her too.

 

Up in the stands with cheering people all around her, Ruby clapped with a smile on her face. Watching Blake laugh along with her older sister made her chest overflow with warmth. The faunus did well, but not exceptional and that was something she definitely was going to fix. The ex-Huntress was tempted to just leave the stadium and head back to Blake’s room to lay down, but that would leave too much room for thinking, and the visions that have plagued her since the night she rescued Blake. 

Those damned things were really messing up her ability to sleep. Many nights she would wake easily, unable to fall back into slumber she simply held the faunus close to her chest so that if a bad dream caused her fits she would be right there when the older woman awoke. Ruby would often think about her fondness of Blake in those dark nights filled with nothing but the sound of crickets outside the window and said woman’s slow breaths. Those simple thoughts would both make the rose smile and tear up at the same time. 

She decided to watch the rest of the matches, the only other one she was really interested in was JNPR’s against a team from Shade Academy in Vacuo. Of course the team was rough in its working together here and there but overall they were victorious thanks to Nora’s incredibly powerful semblance. Of course team CFVY had no issues moving on and to Ruby’s surprise team CRDL made it through the qualifiers as well.  _ Fucking Winchester.  _ Ruby’s mind growled. She really didn’t like that man with his simple-minded ignorance and racism. He doesn’t belong in the Order.

 

><><><><><><

 

“Ruby, why are we still doing this? I did just fine today and I’m tired. I don’t think I need more training for the next few days.” There was a hint of smugness coming from Blake, obviously thinking a little too much of herself as she followed Ruby to their usual training spot.

“You may think you did just fine, but it was only the qualifiers and honestly? You got lucky. The match after the next one is only going to be two on two, and I have a feeling that it’s gonna be you and Yang. My sister is a powerhouse but you need to hold your own and not rely on her assistance. Today you were close to being eliminated, but by sheer luck you were able to come out on top. It’s only going to get harder from here on.” Ruby lectured, taking off her cloak and tossing it to the ground so that it wouldn’t hinder her movements. “So, that’s why training is about to get a lot harder.” They faced each other, Blake giving a reluctant sigh. 

“Can’t I just sleep?” She groaned, ears flicking back. 

“Not yet. I know that it seems like a lot of work to progress so little, but that little bit can save your life one day. All I want is for you to,” The raven-red head paused for a second, “to…” Pain rushed to her head, the world around her morphing into a land of carnage and blood. The normal wild flowers around her feet were smeared in blood, the river thick and red, the cherry blossoms were splattered with gooey remains that fell from the leaves like dripping water. With her heart racing she clenched her silver eyes shut, placing a hand on her forehead to quell the headache. Limbs were becoming shaky but before anything could get any worse a hand took hold of her forearm, farcing her back to reality. 

“Ruby?” Silver eyes opened slowly, face still pinched in the tiniest grimace. Amber eyes were soft with concern. “Ruby, are you okay?” 

“Hm?” Ruby was still in a daze, but the fog cleared when she looked at the worried faunus, forcing a smile on her lips. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine, just got a little lightheaded for a second. I’m good. Let’s start shall we?” Blake didn’t believe the younger woman’s excuse, but decided to let it be. After all, Ruby never pried when Blake didn’t want to talk about something, so she was going to do the same for Ruby regardless of how badly she wanted her friend to confide in her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not the greatest at writing fight scenes so be easy on me XD. I hope you enjoyed how I put it together. Please comment it really keeps me motivated!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow been a long time hasn't it? Yea it has and I'm to blame. I know I know how could I go dark like that in the field? Well shut your trap Ironwood and just enjoy the fact that I showed up at all.

It was harder than one thought to keep a person that was assumed dead hidden especially when she was always cooped up in a bedroom. Ruby would continuously get restless, constantly working out her body whether it be push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and many times Blake had woken in the middle of the night only to find Ruby climbing in the window with sweat pouring from her chin. She claimed to be out on a run, since that was something she really liked to do. The faunus cursed Ruby’s desire to work out her core so much, many times the younger woman wouldn’t even be wearing a shirt to cover her abdominal muscles from the sun that glistened off her sweat. It was distracting to the faunus, and bewildered her.

It was really close one night. Out of nowhere Sun had visited when they were least expecting it. “Hey, Blake?” He called after knocking on the door. Ruby had been doing some workouts, only for her to fall to the ground from shock. Blake’s ears speared upward in alert, eyes wide and sharp with panic. “Can I come in?” 

“U-Um, just give me a second Sun!” Blake called in order to stall for time. Ruby shot up to her feet and her silver eyes were instantly on the lookout for a hiding place.  _ Desk, window, the bed...the bed! _ In a split second the raven-red head dove under the bed, brushing past the frilly little curtains that would shield her from view. Sure, she could’ve opted to jump out the window, but what if Sun tried to do something? She couldn’t just leave Blake to fend for herself, even though it wasn’t likely that the monkey faunus of all people would do anything to hurt his childhood friend. Blake walked over to the door, casting a glance around the room to make sure at a glance that Ruby wasn’t visible. With a semi-relieved sigh she opened the door to see Sun standing there a little nervously. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He gave the feline faunus a small smile before frowning and scratching the back of his neck. “Can we talk about something? Please?” Blake’s head tilted in confusion, but opened the door and beckoned him in.

“Sure, come on in.” Sun walked in slowly as Blake closed the door behind him. “What is it that you wanted to talk about?” The man kept his back to her for a moment before turning around with a hurt expression on his features.

“Did I do something to offend you? Have I said something that hurt you?” 

“What?” The raven haired woman recoiled. “No, why would you think that?” 

“I don’t know, it’s just that. You seem so tense all the time, especially around me. This all started after The Ball and-is it because I asked you to go with me? Did I make it awkward for you?” Sun was obviously trying to make sense of what he thought he might’ve done wrong, but to Blake it wasn’t  _ his  _ fault for her behavior. Ruby’s fists clenched, a frown forming her lips. 

“Sun, it has nothing to do with that.” The faunus shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Then what is it? You barely let me touch you and it just feels like I did something. Blake, I like you a lot, but I don’t want my feelings for you to be the reason you can’t be comfortable around me.” 

“Listen,” Blake sighed, bowing her head slightly, “It has absolutely nothing to do with your feelings about me, I’m just not comfortable with being touched most of the time. I have, issues with it due to...my past, and the things that were done to me while in captivity.” She could feel the beginnings of bile rising in her throat from the thoughts, her skin started to crawl forcing her arms tighter around herself. Sun observed her posture a few moments. 

“What exactly happened to you in there, Blake? Talk to me.” 

“No.” The female faunus stated flatly causing Sun to recoil and wince.

“Please, Blake. Tell me about what happened to yo-”

“I said  _ no _ , Sun. That is final.” 

“What’s the problem? Don’t you trust me? I won’t judge you or pity you. I’m your friend and I want you to be able to talk to me about these things.” Sun took a few stepped forward which Blake quickly moved so that there was even more distance between them.

“It’s not about my trust in you. It’s just, not something I discuss with anyone other than, my friend from the mountain.” She had never discussed the details with anyone other than Ruby, and she wasn’t about to change that now. “Unless you have something else you’d like to talk about, please leave.” Sun looked heart-broken, taking a slow and easy step toward the female faunus.

“Blake…” 

“ _ Please. _ ” Her fingers were digging painfully into her biceps as she tried her best to keep her tears at bay. She couldn’t face Sun and see his face, she couldn’t. With a sigh, Sun silently walked out of the feline faunus’ room, closing the door behind him. When the door clicked shut, she collapsed to her knees, forehead against the carpeting and let her tears fall. Her sobs came out lightly, like little hiccups.

Ruby crawled out from under the bed and proceeded to crawl her way over to her crying friend. “Shh, beautiful. One day he’ll understand, and one day you’ll be able to tell him.” Her strong arms wrapped around Blake who threw herself into Ruby’s chest, soaking her chest wrappings with her tears. 

“I want to tell him, but I just can’t.” The raven haired woman sobbed, hands balling into fists against the younger woman’s bosom. 

“I know. It’s okay, it’s okay.” Ruby planted a kiss on Blake’s head, rubbing at the feline ears with one hand, knowing that it had a way of calming her faunus friend down. 

“Adam was always so forceful, he didn’t care how badly it hurt me on the inside to be treated nearly worse than the person in the world who hates the faunus the most. I was dirt to him, treated me like I was nothing but his means of stress relief.” Blake gulped. “He’d touch me in places that made me feel disgusting, so disgusting that I wanted to throw up, but I wouldn’t have anything  _ to _ throw up. His hands were so rough and uncaring, brutal even. Sun, would be different though. I can feel that he would. He’d be gentle just like his personality, treat me like I’m worth something. Like I’m something special, and give me the love he believes I deserve.” Ruby held her friend tighter.  _ I already do those things for you, Blake. _ Her brows pinched at the thought.

“Don’t you believe that you deserve to be loved, Blake?” She gently pushed Blake back by her shoulders, cupping her cheek and wiping away a tear with her thumb. Her face was a mix of concern, with the softness of the freshest cotton. Blake sniffled.

“ _ No! _ ” She cried out loudly, but near the end it turned into a pitiful squeak. The raven-red head’s heart shattered, bringing her hands up to cup both of the crying woman’s cheeks.

“But you do!” Ruby said back in a whisper. “Of course you do! You already have people who love you. There’s Sun, Yang, and all the others. They love you.” Blake began sobbing a little harder, wiping at her tears with the back of her fists. The raven-red head took a deep breath. “ _ I _ love you. You’re my best-friend.”  _ You damn coward _ . Ruby growled at herself. 

“I love you too, Ruby.” Blake whimpered back, falling into Ruby’s chest again. She knew deep down that Blake didn’t mean it the way she wished. She loved Ruby as a friend, and nothing more. 

 

><><><><><><

 

“So, you came here to tell me that, the pedestrian, was a ghost?” The woman with white skin and black veins along her body spoke with a chilling distaste for the conversation. Her black and red eyes bored down onto her subordinate heavily, unamused.

“No, ma’am. I had sworn that I had killed her that day, but it seems she must’ve survived somehow. I don’t know  _ how _ this happened, I personally saw her corpse with my own eyes. I don’t understand how this is possible.” Cinder spoke, head bowed in respect and shame. Salem’s eyes hardened, the red glowing a little more vividly.

“You were a fool! It’s no wonder you don’t understand! I specifically told you to keep her alive so I could assist you in attaining her power, but you just  _ assumed _ on your own that it was the same as a Maiden!” The woman shot out of her throne, anger flaring with every one of her breaths. “It’s too late for that now. You’re the Fall Maiden. All we can do is ensure that this  _ Ruby _ is killed as soon as possible. She will only get in the way.” 

“Of course.” Cinder sneered at the floor. “I know that she’ll be around the arena. From one of my sources I know that she has some sort of connection with a faunus who recently joined the Order. If we put her, or any of her old friends at risk, it will no doubt draw her out.” 

“Hm.” Salem hummed, walking down a few steps to stand in front of the young Cinder. “Fine.” With a snap of her fingers, a strange Grimm hovered it’s way to the white-skinned woman’s side. Tentacles hung at it’s side as it made these small clicking noises. She put her hand under it and the creature deposited a small, black orb into her palm. “Use this to get the job done. If you fail me again Cinder. I swear to you that it will be your last.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The dark haired woman took the orb into her hand and studied it with her amber eyes. She had no idea what it was. 

“What exactly is the name of this girl who gives you so much trouble?” 

“Ruby Rose.” Cinder was baffled when Salem’s eyes lit with recognition. A smile grew on her face as she looked down to this out of place looking bracelet on her wrist. 

“Oh,” The pale woman laughed evilly, “how absolutely  _ precious _ .” Red eyes were alight with an odd amount of elatedness. “Change of plan. Don’t kill her. I want you to bring her to me. We’ll have ourselves a delightful,  _ reunion _ .” Cinder’s face contorted with shock before falling back into a passive expression. 

“As you command.”

 

><><><><><><

 

“Weiss. Seriously. Just do it!” Ruby laughed at the white haired teen who had her arms crossed while she lay in the grass. Ruby lay next to her, looking up at the clouds but was currently gazing at the Schnee to see her reaction.

“I  _ will _ !” Weiss said back, cheeks puffing from her pout. 

“You  _ will _ ? Or you’ll  _ think  _ about it?” Blue eyes glared at the raven-red head. “Listen, I know that asking a person out is rough, but you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t just toughen up and  _ do it _ . I’m telling you that Yang likes you too, it’s only a matter of time before she makes a move, or you could just speed up the process. It’s okay to be nervous.” 

“I’m not nervous!” Ruby shot up from the grass at that.

“Don’t you dare say that you aren’t nervous!” Ruby poked her finger into Weiss’s cheek, which was roughly smacked away by the Heiress. “Don’t you think I was nervous that day?” 

“You Dolt, it was obvious! You were literally tripping over your own feet. It was rather, adorable though.” The faintest of pink rose in the older teen’s cheeks as she turned over on her side to face the younger girl.  

“Exactly, don’t you want Yang to think you’re adorable when you ask to go on a date with her? Knowing Yang though, she’d never let you forget it.” 

“That’s precisely the problem. I don’t want to embarrass myself and look like a fool in front of her.” 

“Weiss. Look at me.” Ruby laid down, facing Weiss who was gazing at her worriedly. “Better to live a life with a bunch of ‘oh wells’ than ‘what ifs?’. Oh well, you look a little silly and embarrass yourself, which prevents you from ever asking her to be with you. That leaves you with ‘what if?’ she doesn’t care about all the little mistakes you make, and ‘what if?’ by not asking her, you lose your soulmate and she runs off with someone else? What if she doesn’t give a damn about all the times you look like a fool and just thinks you’re perfect for making a mistake?” Weiss simply stared at her friend in shock.    

“Seriously. Where do you pull this kind of knowledge from?!” 

“I don’t know! It’s just logical, isn’t it?” Ruby shot back with a laugh. “But Weiss, take what I said into consideration. I love you both and I have no doubt that you two would be amazing together. All you have to do it take that first step.” 

“Are you going to be okay? I know me springing my feelings for your sister came out of nowhere, wasn’t exactly the brightest idea I’ve had.” The older teen’s hand made its way to Ruby’s cheek, gently running her thumb against the warm skin. A bright smile formed on the raven-red head’s face.

“Of course. What kind of person would I be if I didn’t want you to be happy with who you’d be happiest with? A selfish one and we all know I’m not like that.” Ruby took the cold hand on her cheek into one of her own, gripping it firmly. “And I swear, I won’t let anyone know.” 

“Thank you, Ruby. I don’t know what I’d do without a friend like you.” 

“Just hope we never find out.” With a small peck to Weiss’ palm, the younger girl got up and stretched, making sure to dust her red hood off. The white haired teen sat up and quirked a brow.

“No goodbye kiss?” Ruby looked over her shoulder at her friend, solemn smile played on her lips.

“Not this time, Princess.” 

“It’s really over then, isn’t it.” Weiss slumped slightly. Yes, she didn’t love Ruby, but it still felt like a loss.

“Yeah.” Was Ruby’s simple answer. She turned and walked away leaving the white haired girl with her thoughts, still sitting in the grass. 

 

_ I guess I found out what my life would be like without you. We all did. _ Weiss was laying in the grass where her and Ruby would usually go to be alone together. It was their place. Her blue eyes gazed up at the sky that was a creamy blue with the occasional cloud. Some trees were shading her from the sun, a breeze rolling through every now and then.  _ Are you at peace now? Have you forgiven us all? Have you forgiven me? _ Weiss closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and listening to the quiet air, waiting patiently for an answer that wouldn’t come.  _ I guess we’ll never know the answer. _

 

><><><><><><

 

“The next match is sure to be an exciting one, I’m sure of it! Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna against our Knight-Captain Cardin Winchester and Russel Thrush! It’ll be interesting to see how our newest member will fair in this round.” The deeper voiced announcer boomed over the cheering crowd in the stands as the four stood in the middle of the battlefield.

“Yang!” A section of the crowd roared, they were holding up various signs that depicted Yang. They were obviously big fans. The blond happily gave them a wave to which some swooned over. Blake shook her head when Yang turned to flash her a cocky smile but it wasn’t a second later that the blond pointed at something behind the raven haired faunus that prompted her to see what it was. Her cheeks flushed when she saw a poster of her being waved around in the air. The group of fans appeared to be majority faunus, but held a few humans. She could hear Yang laughing behind her. Blake covered some of her face with a hand while the other waved at her fans. 

“You’ve already got fans. You move fast.” Yang chided as Blake simply shook her head, still rather embarrassed. Her amber eyes observed her competitors. Cardin looked like someone took a huge shit in his breakfast, but that was normal. His eyes were trying to kill Blake with daggers, but she ignored it. 

“Animals like you don’t belong here.” Cardin growled suddenly. It was quiet but of course Blake heard it with her advanced hearing. Her ears twitched and she just glared at him.

“An asshole like you is a shitty Knight-Captain.” She shot back, loud enough that Yang and Russell could hear the jab. Cardin simply scowled harder. 

“You’re about to eat those words, bitch.”  He growled, hand just inches away from his mace. Blake glared at him, ears flattening in a menacing display. Her tolerance of him had certainly diminished due to a snide comment about Ruby in the previous days. 

“Match! Begin!” Called an announcer and they were off. 

 

><><><><><><

 

Cinder stood as the match began, Emerald following her lead, Mercury was still laid up for his leg. She played with the black orb in her hand, rolling it around in her palm. It was mesmerizing how it seemed to pulsate with energy, as if it had a heartbeat. It buzzed against the skin of her hand, and it was enough to make the woman smile a fraction wider. “Remember, we don’t engage whatsoever. Stay away from the fighting. Just watch.” The raven haired woman instructed the other girl.

“Yes ma’am.” Emerald nodded her understanding. 

The two of them made their way down to the lower halls where there were little openings for views closer to the battlefield so one could watch the match while traveling to the seats. It was basically a glassless window. They stopped at one window and Cinder leaned against it. With a deep breath she watched the match for a few moments. Yang seemed to be faring well against the Russell fellow, but the same could not be said about her raven haired partner who seemed to be struggling. The brute of a Knight-Captain was merciless in his assault.  

The Belladonna seemed to be shaking in her knees, like she was scared as if the man would actually harm her rather than being a friendly sport.  _ No doubt the result of Adam’s insanity. _ Cinder thought. The feline faunus seemed to flinch slightly with each attack that Cardin attempted to deliver. Overall the woman found the fight enormously boring, the only fights that were really entertaining were the ones where you didn’t know who would live or who would die. Now those, got the heart racing. “Cinder.” The voice drug the woman from the refuge in her mind. 

“What.” She replied flatly. 

“What exactly will that thing do?” Emerald looked at the ball in Cinder’s hands. The woman stood straighter, a large, sinister smile falling on her lips as she chuckled. 

“I have no idea,” She replied, shining eyes meeting red ones, “but wouldn’t it be fun to find out?” Without a second thought, she drew her arm back and sent the orb flying until it landed on the battlefield where Cardin was about to deliver a blow to Blake, who was curling up into a ball on the ground. As soon as the black ball hit the ground, it shattered, releasing an enormous cloud of black fog that fell over the entire stadium.

 

><><><><><><

 

Ruby had been peacefully taking a nap until she awoke from a nightmare with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She realized suddenly that she was late for Blake’s match against Cardin and shot out of the bed like her ass was on fire. With the help of her semblance, she was dressed in no time before diving out the window head first. With a less than graceful landing, the raven-red head was off to the arena. She didn’t need a boat to travel the waters that lay between.

The second she got on the island, Ruby halted in complete shock. Black fog was shooting around into the air, and the sick feeling in her stomach only grew. Screams reached her ears and people began to run out of the stadium. They were all in a panic as the fog grew more opaque, but that wasn’t a good sign, not if the inhuman roar that followed was any indication. It was loud, so much so that the earth beneath trembled and threatened to burst Ruby’s eardrums. Chills ran through her entire body as people ran past her in chaos.  _ Grimm _ . Her heart sped up.  _ Blake! _ Again she was running, weaving her way through the throngs of spectators. Crouching down, she leaped into the air with all her ability, her jump was barely enough because she had to grip the edge of the stadium, the very top. Easily, Ruby lifted herself up on the ledge and when she took in the sight, her blood ran cold, heart and lungs freezing. 

The Grimm was huge, its two heads could surpass the height of the stadium, long necks covered in white patches of armor. It’s faces were shaped with long, lipless snouts that bared sharp fangs and piercing red eyes, much like the dragons in the books, but it lacked wings. At its hindquarters, there were three, long black tails that were tipped with white, razor sharp spikes. You could hear its monstrous breaths as it released slight fog from its nostrils, and spilled from between its fangs.    

This was unlike any Grimm ever encountered in the history of Remnant.  


	18. Chapter 18

Dark clouds began to fill the sky like the Grimm itself was summoning a dark storm, its two heads swaying around to survey the area. The back half of its body had destroyed that section of the arena, the rubble piled at it monstrous back paws. It fed off the screams that filled the air, taking a huge whiff only to breathe out black smoke that slipped through the cracks of its teeth, lacking lips to trap the smog. A low, pleasured groan rumbled through its chest. The smell of fear was oh so sweet. 

Blake stood, body poised to strike as her golden eyes took in the monster before her, and she couldn’t help but gulp from the mere sight. Her body still shook with fear from Cardin’s carnal rage from the battle, and it shook her more than she had ever expected. Every time Cardin had lifted his mace, she saw Adam for a split second with his hand raised to strike her. It struck deep within her, but this Grimm was provoking a different kind of fear from the faunus. Blake’s friends were near, all prepared for a fight. Sun, Neptune, Yang, and Weiss, as well as team JNPR, but Pyrrha wasn’t there and neither was Sky. 

Jaune scanned the stands for his wife and child, hardly being able to concentrate with the intense panic. “We have to find them!” He roared to his friends, the others taking glances in hopes of seeing the woman, but it was difficult. 

“Over there!” Nora yelled, pointing into the stands just to the right of the Grimm. Everyone squinted to see, but there they were. Pyrrha was waddling as fast as she could with her growing belly, pulling a frightened Sky behind her. But it seemed that they weren’t the only ones who concentrated their attention on the redhead. Both of the monster’s heads were gazing in the same direction. A strange rumble vibrated in its throat, almost as if it were a laugh of some sort, more like a sinister chuckle. A chill ran up Blake’s spine. Jaune seemed to catch on quickly and started to sprint in their direction.

“No, don’t you dare you fucking monster!” He roared, wielding his broadsword in his hands as he charged. The Grimm paid him no mind and one head reared back before darting right at the woman and her child. Pyrrha looked up with a gasp, quickly spinning around and wrapping Sky up in her arms. Just as the Grimm’s head nearly encased them in its mouth, she jumped. The force in which the Grimm had hit the stone seats caused an explosion of dust and rubble, adding wind to Pyrrha’s jump, throwing her far out into the arena grounds. “Pyrrha!” 

While in the air, the red-headed woman twisted so that she landed on her back, holding her son to her chest as to shield him from harm. She let out a short gasp of pain as it rippled up her back, wincing at the sky as the beast’s left head cast a shadow over her while the right was dazed at getting a mouthful of rubble. Looking over she saw her husband and the others running for her, but there was too much distance and not enough time. Green eyes connected with the solid red ones of the Grimm, and it seemed to look right through her, a stare so lifeless that it made her soul shiver. “Mom!” Sky called, gazing up at her fearfully, tears collecting at the corner of his eyes. 

“It’s okay sweetie, Mommy’s got you.” The woman’s hold tightened on her scared child. “It’s gonna be okay-” As the words left her mouth and she struggled to move, the monster took this chance to lunge, the left head shooting down with wide open jaws. Pyrrha grit her teeth and twisted so that she now shielded Sky, her upper half hovering over him as he now had his back to the ground. The young boy’s face was still cradled against his mother’s chest as they both braced for the impact. 

“Pyrrha! Sky!” Jaune released a cry as tears began to sting the back of his eyes, his legs going as fast as they could with the others right behind him. His blue eyes watched in horror as the beast's mouth closed in on them, and before he knew it there was an eruption of dust as its jaws collided, clouding his view of the scene. “ _ No! _ ” His roar echoed in the sudden silence. 

Pyrrha had felt the force, knowing that the ground beneath her and her boy had caved from the immense power, but there was no pain, and they were still very much alive. Opening her eyes slowly, Pyrrha hesitantly looked around, upward to the monster, but her heart stopped and her face grew pale. The beast was still, jaws still open but was blocked, now having encountered an unexpected obstacle. 

Above her was a woman, clad in a red tunic and a tattered white cloak whose hood covered her face in shadow, but in that shadow, she could see the sharp gleam of a silver eye looking straight back at her. This woman was holding a red and black scythe upon her shoulders, that with its length, effectively blocked the open mouth of the Grimm. Pyrrha was pale, death had come so close, but she still lived, and yet she felt as if she was seeing a ghost. 

The dust in the air cleared, Jaune having momentarily shielded his eyes from the debris as did everyone else. Looking back up, he took a few steps forward before freezing. They all saw it, the woman was holding the huge monster back with shear strength and power, but what made their blood run cold was the tell-tale weapon upon her shoulders. It could only be her, but it couldn’t be. Blake’s heart sped up and a grin came to her lips as she suddenly felt better about their odds.

Swiftly the woman swung the scythe in a large arc, slicing right through the monster’s mouth, black blood and smoke spilled into the air as it withdrew with an angered cry. Bending slightly, she easily picked up the pregnant woman and her child before sprinting in Jaune’s direction. The Grimm’s right head was no longer dazed and lunged for Ruby as she ran, but before it could come within range, a huge sword cut through the side of its face. There stood Qrow, his weapon in his hand as he eyed the monster angrily. 

The hooded woman only sped up, knowing that Pyrrha’s eyes were on her, no doubt shocked. Jaune was jogging up to her and when they met, he took them from Ruby’s arms and simply stared at her. “Ruby…” Escaped his lips and she only looked at him with her mouth parted as if she were going to say something, but in the end decided against it. Blake ran up next to them in panic. 

“Ruby, look out!” Ruby didn’t even look around to see what was wrong, she simply pushed Jaune back by his shoulders with all of her might as something collided with her side. It didn’t hurt when she crashed through the stone stands, but it momentarily dazed the ex-huntress. The woman slowly got up, shaking her head of rubble before looking around. Her hood had shredded and fallen off of her, leaving her identity bare to all those who were near. Silver eyes spotted Qrow battling with the beast alongside his sister. Blake was making her way to Ruby while all the others participated in battle. “Are you alright?” The faunus questioned with eyes flooded in concern, looking over her friend to spot any wounds. 

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” Ruby dusted herself off. “Are you?” 

“More or less.” 

“We need to stop that thing before it starts attracting anymore Grimm. Think you can get the others to distract it? I might have an idea.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Blake nodded, but before she could take a step, a warm hand clasped her own. Looking back, the woman couldn’t help the little skip in her heart.

“Be careful.” There was something in those deep silver eyes, something that is hardly ever there. It was fear and as far as she knew, Ruby Rose never showed her fear. The faunus held her friend’s hand tighter. 

“I will.” She could tell that Ruby had reluctantly let go of her before dashing off to kick-start her plan, whatever it was. 

Blake made it to Yang who was blasting off shots at the Grimm’s two faces. “Yang! Get everyone to distract it! Ruby’s got an idea.” The blond didn’t respond with words, but with a simple nod. The faunus could tell that the woman was still in shock as she started to shoot at the monster herself. 

Ruby still stood in the stands for a moment, taking the area in before running off, launching herself into the air. Her scythe swung around connecting with one of the Grimm’s eyes and with a deep breath, Ruby let loose her semblance, zipping around in the air, striking at the second eye. Before she could reach the second head, the monster turned to aid its wounded brother snapping its strong jaws at her. Using its muzzle as footing, Ruby jumped into the air, looking down the length of her scythe before letting off two shots, both hitting their mark, effectively blinding the demon.

The Grimm hissed and screeched in anger, swinging both heads side to side, slinging black blood in numerous directions. Ruby appeared next to Blake, with Yang on the other side of the faunus. “Blake lets tie them up.” She held out her hand and the faunus handed her one end of the shadowy ribbon she spawned. The raven-haired woman ran in the opposite direction, holding tightly onto the black ribbon as Ruby jumped into the stands before launching herself over the blinded Grimm. Activating her semblance, she swung in circles around the monster's necks, wrapping them so tightly that they were touching each other. 

Blake twisted her ribbon around her wrist so that she got a better grip, pulling tighter. Ruby landed next to her blond sister and handed her the ribbon. Yang gripped it instantly but hesitated when she looked up into her sister’s eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. Ruby was no doubt different, but in her chest is where her guilt decided to nest. The younger sibling could see it in those big lilac eyes, and for a moment she felt like she could forgive Yang, but only for a moment. She looked away quickly as Qrow’s voice sounded over the monster’s protests, its head swinging around erratically to break free. “Let’s get this over with!” He swung his own scythe around in the air, pouncing towards the sky soon after. Ruby followed, launching far above the Grimm with her scythe at the ready, one hand reaching out to grasp her uncle’s forearm, dragging him along in the use of her semblance, using their blades to slice easily through both of the necks, severing the heads from the body. 

The Grimm was suddenly quiet and still as the heads fell, and dissolved in a black fog before reaching the ground where the others began to relax slightly. A cloud of dust erupted when the large body fell limply to the floor. Ruby and Qrow landed gracefully next to one another. The older man stood, relaxing his weapon before setting it on his back where it normally would stay. His maroon eyes traveled to look over his niece, who stood, still looking at the monster’s body. She was taller than he remembered, but she was the spitting image of Summer. It made his heart ache. 

“Whoo, I didn’t know they made them that big!” Nora said loudly, as everyone began to gather around. 

“That’s not what everyone is thinking about right now, Darling.” Ren mumbled next to her as he gazed at Ruby’s back, much like everyone else was doing. 

“Oh…” The orange haired woman grew quiet, the weight of the situation finally dawning on her. 

Nobody knew what to do, nor what they could say to ease the current tension in the air. What could any of them say anyway? It has been four years of separation and to top it off they separated under terrible circumstances. What could fix that? 

Blake walked up next to Ruby, who was still staring at the body. “Ruby?” She started gently, just to gain the woman’s attention. “You okay?” 

“It hasn’t disappeared.” 

“What?”

“The body, Blake. Grimm bodies dissolve when they’re dead.” The ex-Huntress announced loud enough that everyone heard, and it dawned on them that the giant black body had shown no signs of disappearing anytime soon. “So why isn’t it gone?” As if on cue, the body gave a rumble, and the area where the necks had been cut began to distort and grow. The group backed away, suddenly alert once again, and Ruby struggled to find an explanation in her knowledge of Grimm as to what exactly was happening. Then it struck her.  _ It’s growing more heads! _ If they couldn’t kill it by slicing off the heads they would have to go for what’s considered its heart. “Weiss! The Red Spear!” 

Weiss was confused for a moment before realizing what her old team leader was talking about. Giving herself a glyph, she propelled back several yards before forming a black gravity glyph next to her. The body was beginning to get up, the necks getting longer, still taking it’s time in regenerating the heads. Ruby appeared on the glyph, crouched against it as she got a feel for where she wanted to strike. “It’s gonna be a multi-strike. Hold them for as long as you can. I’m gonna make sure this thing dies.” 

“Can do.” The white-haired woman summoned another glyph far in the distance behind the growing Grimm. In the blink of an eye, Ruby was gone, shooting right through the monster’s chest and using the other glyph as footing for a shot back. The black smog clung to her as she went back and farth so fast that the eye couldn’t catch her movements, only seeing a red and white, almost pink line going straight through the monster. She didn’t know how many trips she took before Weiss ran out of enough steam to hold the platforms against the sheer force of Ruby’s movements. Letting them fall, it was Ruby’s sign to stop and when she landed, she had to dig her hand into the ground to help slow her body, leaving behind a long line of disrupted dirt and sand. 

When the woman gazed up at the monster, its regeneration had stopped as black smoke and blood dripped from the giant hole in it’s chest. There was a moment of doubt that it had not been enough to kill it, but as soon as it dissolved from the hole to the outside, there was a giant sigh of relief. Blake made a beeline for Ruby, wrapping her arms around the taller woman’s middle. Ruby returned the embrace while burying her nose into the faunus’ hair, giving the back of her ears a slight rub. The attention received a slight giggle. “Sorry, I’m late.” Ruby mumbled to which Blake gave a scoff. 

“You didn’t miss much.” That made Ruby chuckle heartily. 

“So.” It was Sun who interrupted the moment which caused the slight twinge of anger to go off in Ruby’s chest. “You two, know each other? And  _ you’re _ alive!?” He gestured to Ruby who sighed. 

“I think we’d  _ all _ like to know what’s going on here, Sun.” Weiss stepped in, her arms crossed over her chest, face pinched in annoyance. 

“Suppose we have a lot of explaining to do…” Blake replied bashfully, fiddling with her fingers as the others continued to stare. 

“Damn right you do!” The heiress snapped. “We’ve been living with the guilt for  _ years _ , we’ve mourned you for  _ years _ , and it turns out you’re not even dead, and you’ve been letting us think that you are! And  _ you _ .” Blue eyes landed on Blake who gulped slightly. Ruby scowled. “You  _ knew _ she was alive and didn’t think to tell us!? We let you in, we shared our precious memories of her with you, and you had the nerve to sit there and let us be oblivious!?” 

“Back off, Weiss! Blake did nothing wrong! She was doing right by me because she knew that I didn’t want any of you to  _ know _ I was alive! So blame me, hasn’t stopped any of you before!” Ruby has stepped defensively in front of Blake as if to shield her from Weiss’ harsh words. Everyone slumped with guilt from Ruby’s words, the white haired heiress having faltered before backing down. Yang seemed to have been holding back tears after that statement.

“Now, now everyone, there is no longer a need to be fighting.” A different voice interrupted the conversation. The group looked to see that it was Ozpin, calmly holding his cane in his hand and a mug in the other, giving it a swirl. “It seems this was an isolated attack, no Grimm have been reported in the area, nor are there any attacking the kingdom back on the mainland. Curious, isn’t it.” The group was quiet, having not thought of the possibility that Grimm could be attacking elsewhere, but Ozpin understood. “I know that, recent events, have you all focused on something else. Ruby.” He addressed Ruby directly to which her brow pinched in distaste.

“Lord Ozpin.” The Lord grinned bitterly.

“We had no use for formalities in the past and there is no reason to use them now. I understand that you are wary of myself and all of your friends, but I hope that you will give me the time to explain my actions.” Ozpin gestured for the ex-Huntress to follow him, she hesitated for a moment but decided she’d like to hear his excuse. Before the woman could take a step Blake jumped in front of her.

“No. My Lord, I want your word that no harm will come to her.” The faunus demanded to which Ruby was slightly shocked, looking at the back of her friend’s head. Ears were laid flat in a more threatening display. 

“Miss Belladonna, I have no intention-” 

“Your  _ word _ , Ozpin.” She hissed, ears nearly disappearing in her ebony locks. With a sigh the Lord conceded. 

“You have my word that Miss Rose with not be harmed. I simply wish to talk.” Bronze and gold held each other’s stares, Blake decided that he was being truthful and warily stepped out of Ruby’s way but her ears still laid flat to signal how cautious she was. She jumped minutely when a hand gently rubbed the tension from the velvet appendages. Looking up to Ruby who gave her a warm, reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry about me. Just check on Pyrrha for me, yeah? I’ll meet you in the garden as soon as we’re done with our conversation.” The faunus nodded and with that Ruby walked away, trailing a few feet behind Ozpin while all eyes bore into her back. 

 

><><><><><><

 

She hadn’t walked through the castle halls in so many years. Everything was the same and brought a wave of memories to flood her brain. That lamp had a crack in it from one of Yang’s rampages. That painting was covering a gash in the wall from Ruby’s scythe. Youth had a lot of good memories. 

“I suppose I should start explaining myself, yes?” Ozpin quirked a brow at her. Ruby gave him a look that seemed to deliver a very aggressive message. “Right. Ruby, you know that we’ve been fighting for a long time. Not just the Grimm, but the White Fang.” 

“Of course.” 

“Have you noticed that Grimm appearances have been rising?”

“Yes,” She replied slowly, growing more confused by the second, “What does that have to do with anything?” 

“There is something coming, Ruby. A war like no other in the entire history of Remnant. Bigger than the War of Nations. We’ll need all the help we can get.” Ozpin sighed. Ruby’s jaw dropped. War? Wasn’t fighting the White Fang enough?

“What do you mean, is the White Fang growing stronger?” 

“No. I have the sneaking suspicion that a group of very powerful individuals is behind all of this, including that slaughter of those children, and that you were framed for it.” The blood in the woman’s veins ran cold before boiling over.  _ He knew I was framed? Someone killed those kids to get to me? What the fuck is going on!? _ “Ruby, we need you in order to stop these people and until then, I would want nothing more than for you to take your rightful place as Knight-Captain back. I’m afraid that Cardin would abuse his power if anything were to happen to me, and he’s been very capable, but I don’t trust him as much as I trust you.” 

“Tell me why you still convicted me first.” Ruby replied sternly, her body was rigid with this new and overwhelming information. Fists were clenching at her sides while her teeth ground against each other. 

“It’s when we’ve hit our lowest point, that we find something inside ourselves that we never knew was there before.” Ozpin turned around and began to walk away. Ruby knew what he meant, having been close to him for so long she could decipher his cryptic speech. He knew about that  _ something _ she’s been trying to reach. The ex-Huntress scoffed, an almost amused grin stretching her lips. 

“I didn’t give you my answer.” 

“You don’t need to, I already know what it is.” The Lord didn’t look back as he walked, turning a corner and disappearing from her view. Absentmindedly, she scratched at her neck. This was all just so much, but more than anything she wanted to talk to Blake and groaned slightly at the thought of confronting everyone. She was innocent. A small laugh escaped her. There was no doubt anymore, she didn’t hurt them. That alone was a weight lifted from her shoulders, but a whole new one appeared. This supposed enemy, or enemies, that were afoot. Ozpin himself seemed to barely understand it but knew it. 

Ruby shook her head, remembering that she promised Blake that they would meet in the garden. Turning on her heel, the woman sped walked through the halls of the castle, knowing them like the back of her hand even after all the years away. It was familiar, but uninteresting because all she would think about was getting to Blake and telling her all the good news. Her silver eyes spotted the door and pushed them open without hesitation. 

As soon as she stepped out, she spotted Blake whipping her head up to look at her. The faunus looked as if she had been pacing the steps, arms crossed and muscles tense. Ruby offered a warm grin as her arms opened to accept the incoming embrace. “Is everything okay?” Blake questioned.

“I’m uh, I’ve been reinstated.” 

“Really?” The faunus withdrew to look at her friend in shock. 

“Yeah, Ozpin said that he was wrong. He knew I wasn’t responsible, and it just, I just…” Her voice began to break, and tears burned her eyes as they flooded over. She didn’t sob, she was silently crying with shaky breaths along with the slow stream of tears. “For so long, I wasn’t positive. I questioned it…” 

“Now you know.” Blake finished, cupping Ruby’s face so she could wipe away the tear trails with her thumbs. Ruby reached up and grasped the older woman’s hands in her own, massaging them gently as a silent way to convey her thanks. They stood like that for many moments just smiling at each other, but Ruby’s attention was caught by Yang who was standing at the bottom of the steps. She looked uncomfortable and nervous, maybe even a little scared. The blond fidgeted with her fingers, wiping her sweaty hands on her trousers with lilac eyes glued to her booted feet. 

Ruby drew away from Blake and stepped around her, descending the steps slowly until she was standing in front of her older sister. Yang hesitantly looked up to meet the silver eyes of her sibling. “Yang.” Came the raven-red head’s whispered introduction. That simple word seemed to break the blond woman who broke out into a fit of sobs, fists clenching at her sides. She wanted to hug Ruby, to hold her baby sister but felt as if she had lost that right after what she had done. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Ruby. Please, I just, I hate myself for what I did, and I understand if you never forgive me. I’ve missed you so much, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry-” Before Yang’s rambling could go on any farther, Ruby pulled the woman into one of the tightest hugs she had ever given, cradling Yang’s head in her hand. There was a slight pause from the older sibling, but after she recovered, she returned the embrace with equal force. Her nose was buried in her sister’s neck, taking in her scent as another anchor, one that proved Ruby is really there, okay, and alive. 

“I love you, Yang. I’ve missed you too. I’ve missed everyone, but I was hurt and for a time I wanted to hate you, all of you.” Ruby spoke, slight breaks occurring in her own voice. “But I never could hate you. You’re my sister, my friends, and no matter what happens, I’ll still love you. That’s what families do.” Silver eyes scanned all of her friends, they all had solemn smiles on their faces, and Neptune seemed to be holding back his emotions, his face contorted with snot nearly pouring out of his nose. 

“Families don’t turn their backs on one of their own. I should’ve believed you, you’re my baby sister, I'm supposed to protect you-” Yang babbled on, sobbing and shaking. Ruby’s grip tightened. 

“I forgive you, Sis.” Those simple words seemed to freeze time. Everyone was still, even Yang for a moment, but the blond let go completely. Her cries were so loud and her sobs wracked her body like small earthquakes. Silver eyes released tears of their own as they scanned everyone. “I forgive all of you.” 

It seemed like forever before Yang calmed down enough to let her baby sister go, but once she did, Ruby made sure to embrace everyone. Blake simply watched her friends, her arms crossed over her chest. She’d never felt more comfortable around so many people than she did in this moment. No more secrets, and no tension. It was comfortable. The faunus had been so distracted she nearly jumped out of her skin when the door behind her opened and closed. 

Turning around, her amber eyes landed on Jaune, who looked rather relieved. Blake took that as a sign that Pyrrha was alright, but it was best to ask. “How’s Pyrrha and Sky?” 

“They’re fine. Pyrrha is just a little bruised up, and the baby is unharmed. Sky’s a little shaken though, won’t leave Pyrrha or the baby alone. They’ve fallen asleep already.” The blond man mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. Jaune looked up seeing Ruby walking towards them. “If Ruby hadn’t been there…” Was whispered under his breath, but of course, Blake caught it. 

“Hey there, Vomit Boy.” Blake snorted at the nickname.

“Hey yourself, Craterface.” Now  _ that  _ Blake heartily laughed at. Ruby and Jaune embraced, silver eyes sneering playfully at the faunus for laughing. “Thank you, for saving them.” 

“You don’t need to thank me.” The two pulled away from each other and Jaune looked like he was about to protest when Blake spoke up. 

“Trust me Jaune, I’ve been trying to do the same thing for months. It’s no use fighting her.” The faunus chuckled slightly. She became slightly uneasy though when the man seemed to realize what that meant.

“You’ve known her that long?” His blond brows furrowed slightly. 

“Right...I should probably explain that then…” Her ears flattened slightly, turning to make her way to the table that sat out in the garden, where they sat when they spoke of Ruby. 

“Hey, you don’t have to explain anything to them, Blake.” Ruby followed her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Not if you don’t want to.” 

“It’s fine, Ruby. It’s not that bad.” 

“Um, am I the only one who’s a little confused because they’re talking about something only they know and none of us know what that something is?” Sun scratched his head much like a confused primate would, it didn’t help that his lips were pursed as well. 

“Sorry Sun. Why don’t we all sit down and talk about it?” Ruby suggested, gesturing to the table with her hand. The group all sat at the table, patiently awaiting an explanation. Blake fidgeted slightly, her hands rubbing together in slight nervousness. The reinstated Knight-Captain reached over to grasp one of the faunus’ hands, holding it gently while brushing her thumb along Blake’s knuckles. 

“The night that I escaped, I don’t think you all understood how bad it was. I was already in bad shape, starving, thirsty. I had barely any strength to walk, but the storm only made it worse. There was a blizzard, I was going to die either from hunger or from freezing to death. Either way, my will to keep fighting was gone and I accepted that. I was ready to die that night.” The raven-haired woman couldn’t recall ever speaking so deeply about that night, or ever admitting that she had indeed accepted her death. Everyone listened intently but didn’t pry, and Blake was grateful. 

“I’m the one who found her, I took her to my place and did all I could to nurse her back to health. She was so scared of me at first, but she couldn’t flee. I gave her every reason to trust me and it wasn’t long before we started to talk and I found out about what happened to her while she was in the White Fang’s clutches. I became someone she could rely on and she became one of my best friends. I’m the one who encouraged her to come here and take the job. She needed this and it’s really been good for her. Needless to say, we are very close and we take care of each other.” Ruby filled in the rest of the blanks, but Ren spoke up with a question.

“Did she know instantly that you were the previous Knight-Captain?” 

“No, I didn’t, but I understand why she was reluctant to tell me. I was a faunus, and I had been a member of the White Fang. I would’ve judged her instantly on her past, but I got to know the real her first before I found out. She’s too good of a person to ever do such a thing so horrible, besides why would she have taken such good care of me if she slaughtered  _ children _ ?”

“So, this whole time, Ruby’s been the friend you’ve spoken so highly of? The one that even came to the Vytal Ball?” Weiss questioned next. 

“Oh, so she’s spoken highly of me?” Ruby said, nudging Blake with her elbow to which the faunus glared. 

“I could stop saying nice things about you.” Blake joked.

“No, by all means. Keep boosting my ego.” The Knight-Captain began flexing, striking different poses. She only stopped when her friend slapped her shoulder. 

“If a boosted ego is what you want, you should start by stopping that.” The two chuckled at one another. Ruby looked at the heiress before realizing she hadn’t answered the question.

“Yes Weiss, I was at the Ball. Sneaky sneaked my way in undercover because I wanted to check up on Blake.” After she spoke, the raven-red head yawned. She was tired due to her lack of ability to sleep.

“It’s just really hard to believe that this whole time you’ve been alive. When Emerald brought the news that you had died, we were all so-” Jaune began only to be instantly interrupted by Ruby.

“Wait, _ Emerald _ was the one who told you all I was dead?”

“Yes, she was one of the guards sent out to find you after you escaped. She returned and told us all that you had died. You and Emerald had been friends after all.” 

“She’s the reason that I nearly did die!” Ruby nearly roared, shooting up from her chair and began to pace, speaking before the others could question her behavior. “The cliff in the Forest of Forever Fall, is where I got cornered by her and these two others. There was something wrong with my Aura, it was fluctuating and erratic, it was out of my control. Then the woman she was with shot me with an arrow and I fell all the way to the ground. Dust knows how the fuck I survived, but again, another person I thought I could trust stabbed me in the back.” 

“What the fuck!” Yang growled, tightening her fists. “If she was here right now I’d bash her skull in.” 

“Emerald quit the guard almost a year after you disappeared. She said she was going to go back home to Mistral. We haven’t heard from her since.” Sun chimed in. 

“Well, if she left, then she must’ve come back because I fought her and her silver-haired friend after I left the Ball.” Blake’s ears perked at the new information. 

“What? You didn’t tell me this.” Golden eyes gazed at Ruby with irritation.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to worry you considering…” The younger woman trailed off, letting the faunus connect the dots. Blake had still been distraught about being captured and tortured, so it made sense that Ruby didn’t want to add to the stress. 

“Still, you should tell me things regardless.” A sigh came after the response.   

“I know. I promise I’ll tell you if anything happens again.” There was another yawn from Ruby followed by one from Blake. 

“This doesn’t make any sense, why would people want to kill you? Yeah, you were an important person in the government, but still what is the reason for them to target you instead of someone else? Some sort of assassination contract perhaps, maybe there is some sort of rebellion brewing and they were making a statement, I mean  _ why _ ?” Neptune brought up a lot of questions, but none that could be answered. 

“I don’t know.” Ruby noticed that Blake had yawned again and smirked. “Looks like it’s time to get you to bed.” 

“Hey, you started it.” The faunus shot back. 

“I think it would be best if we all retired for the night. It has gotten pretty late.” Ren stood looking at the dark sky that was losing its last sliver of light. “Not to mention a lot has happened in the past few hours. We could all benefit from a good night's sleep.” 

“Agreed! We’re really glad you’re back Ruby, you should stop by the shop tomorrow and check out our work.” Nora suggested. 

“Absolutely, but not before I spend some sibling time with Yang. After all, I did promise to spend a whole day with her.” Ruby glanced at her older sister, who smiled warmly. 

“Of course. Yang deserves some Ruby time.” Nora agreed. “Just don’t forget about the rest of us.” 

“I’d never.” While the two had conversed, Blake stood as well as Ruby. The faunus placed her hand on the raven-red head’s back, nuzzling her nose into Ruby’s shoulder. She could get uncharacteristically cuddly when tired, not always the one to initiate contact. “We should turn in for the night. C’mon Blake, let's get to bed.” 

“Hm. Goodnight everyone.” Blake mumbled, withdrawing from Ruby and making her way towards the castle. 

“Goodnight you two.” Yang said, crossing her arms and giving her wife a glance. Blue eyes looked back at her and they both smiled. There was less pain in all of them now, no more guilt, and now they finally had the chance to make things right. Yang’s lilac eyes watched her sister and Blake enter the castle to turn in for the night. She was grateful that Ruby wasn't completely alone the entire time, at least in the end she had someone who could be there for her. 

 

><><><><><><

 

“So, she’s back.” Raven mumbled to her brother who leaned against the kitchen counter, a full flask in his hand. He already had the stench of alcohol wafting off of him, so he definitely had only refilled the flask. 

“Mm-hm.” Qrow hummed, taking a swig. “She looks so much like her.” 

“Have you thought about telling her, now that you have the chance?” His sister’s eyes gleamed as if daring him to say no.

“Of course I’ve thought about it!” He slurred angrily, pointing at her. “She just got back  _ today. _ Right now, isn’t the best time…” His voice trailed off, the anger gone and replaced by a more solemn tone. Maroon eyes refused to meet Raven’s red ones. 

“Then when is the best time?” She shot back. The breaths he drew in began to shudder, throwing Raven off. The woman let her anger fade as concern and understanding took place, simply watching her brother’s face twist in pain. 

“I don’t know when. Just not right now…” A single tear slipped past his defenses and against her better judgment, Raven drew her brother to her chest, allowing him to shudder and gasp silently. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long ass wait you guys!! I know it's taken a long time and I'm sorry if my writing quality has gone down any since I first started this but I hope that you all can still enjoy it despite all that. I've been busy and I lack the motivation to do very much anymore, plus I'm sick right now so that doesn't help. I hope this chapter helps you forgive me for the long wait and just a hint as to how long I've planned for this to be, this chapter officially starts the second arc of the story and there is going to be three arcs total. 
> 
> Also, I got my manager to read this on her vacation and she loves it too. And if said manager is reading this. You're the best, and I'm sorry you gotta wait for the next chapter with the others XD


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